The Portland daily press., 1897-11-19
THE COST OF LIVING.
IN, Y. Tribune. }

IN, Y. Tribune.1
There are some grains of truth floating
about in the following statement by the
Boston Herald, but so hidden by all
known kinds of untruth that the author
may be promptly acquitted of any inten-
tion to approach veracity. His state
ments may be profitably considered sepa
ratsly, in comparison with facts:
eff we are in the midst of prosperity
why is it that the cost of living has been
so greatly increased? Why are all the
prime necessities Of life and the principal
staples SO much higher than a year ago9
Flour is fully 55 per cent higher than
at the lowest point year ago.
Patent flour is now quoted at $3.50.
against s4.75 a year ago; which is not 1
per cent. instead of 55 per cent. higher.
Corn is to 10 per cent higher"
Corn closed on Saturday at 33.37 cents,
against 50.87 year ago; which is not 5,
instead of 10 per cent higher.
''Granulated sugar is over II per cent
higher. -
The actual price is cents, against 4.50
a year ago; which is lii per cent higher,
while crushed at 500, against 5.l2 a
year ago, is 81 per cent higher, and the
raw sugar, SO degrees centrifugal, at 3.S1,
against 344 a year ago, is 1913 per cent
higher. The difference of three-tenths of
a cent per pound, or about SIC, 1000, 600
yearly, is an additional tax required by
the increase of bonded debt under one
Democratic administration, as the inter
est on bonds issued by Cleveland is $11, :
$50, COO yearly.
t.Molasses is to per cent higher -
Porto Rico molasses is now quoted at 2S
cents, and was quoted at the same price
year ago.
''Pork is over 80 12 per cent higher"
Mess pork was quoted on Saturday at
49, %, against IS. so year ago; which is
lower, and is not "33 l-2 per cent high
err Hogs are quoted at 1878, against
SO. so year ago.
Mutton is over % per cent higher"
This grain of truth is apparently intro
tuced to conceal the far more important
fact suppressed, that beef, now 81 81, and
a year ago SAL, is not per cent higher.
Potatoes are more than 100 per cent
higher
The average of quotations in the mar
ACu II 9l %, dSdlHSU OIL .UO d year ago, al
advance of rs per cent. and not ''more
than 100 per cent? and the fact is dis
honestly suppressed that the difference is
wholly due to the failure of the crop.
'sApples are more than 100 per cent
higher.
q apples in fact average 50. against ST..
per barrel year ago; which is not cover
100 per cent" but again the failure of
this. crop is dishonesty suppressed.
Butter is more than 10 Per cent high
err"
Best State butter is quoted at 90 cents,
againstSlS cents year ago; which is not
more than Is per cent higher.
Eggs are over 10 per cent higher
-. The best State eggs are quoted at 23
cents, against 26 cents year ago; which
is lower. and not over 10 per cent higher
Wool is from 80 per cent to 100 per
cent higher, and the trade in wooden
goods is struggling to get the prices of
wooden cloths UP to q par with wool.
Who is to pay for this increased cost of
wooden oloths?''
The average of 100 quotations of domes-
tic wool by Coates Brothers is 20. rs cents,
against IL. 90 year ago; which is 50 per
cent advance, and not ''from 50 to 100 per
cent higher" Also, the truth is dishon-
estly suppressed that WOODEN cloths are
selling only i4.1 per cent higher than q
year ago. taking the average Of many rep
resen tative goods of standard grades, and
that the cost of made-up clothing has not
yet advanced at all. When the people do
pay higher price for clothing they will
pay it for the restoration Of work and
prosperity to more than q million people
dependent upon wooden mill operatives,
OF whom about third were idle a year
ago.
Hides are 10 per cent higher, and boot
and shoe makers are trying hard to get
this increased cost out of boots and
shoes. Is this of supreme benefit to the
great majority"
The average of quotations for hides at
Chicago is 1888 rs, against 49, so a year
ago; an advance of II per cent, but not
of $40 per cent The fact is dishonesty
suppressed that the average cost of leather
is today a shade lower at Boston than a
year ago, and that the average selling
price of boots and shoes, taking the stan
dard grades of each class, is 1-2 per
cent. lower than a year ago.
Would any body suspect from these as
sertions by the Boston Herald that the
aggregate cost of several hundred arti-
Giles, covering more than nine.tenths of
the cost of living, is now less than per
cent higher than it was October 81 last
ticles and quantities mentioned in the
which cost November 1; ST, $40, cost in
the same markets $76,2ll October 81, 1856
n rise of 1.89 per cent. Men who labor
had to cram many falsehoods into small
space have one excuse. Without some
really startling feat of Justification nobody
would forget that labor has more employ
IL s+.,x -.