The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-02-19
THE COST OF LIVING.
Has It Increased in Consequence
Of the Dingley TARIFF
Facts and Figures Showing That Adj
vance in Prices Has Not Greatly
Added to Wage-ERrners'
Expenses.

Lnat tnere Is no lruln III lHe cldlHn ludl
the present revival of business and in
dustrial activity is in any way the re-
suit of protection; Others deny that
there has been any return of prosperity
thus far, and insist that business con-
ditions have not improved, while still
others, realizing the folly of both Of the
preceding contentious in the face of
facts which contradict them, admit the
prosperity, and do not strenuously
gainsay that protection has had some
thing to do with producing this result,
but take refuge behind the plea that if
protection has made times better it has
also made prices higher, and greatly
increased the cost Of living.
The Boston Herald is among the free
trade newspapers which struggle hard
to find dark side to the prosperity pic
ture. The Herald has been at great
pains to show that under protection
the cost of living has been largely in
creased, and that the principal staples
and necessaries are very much higher
than they were year ago. AS usual,
however, in such attempts to make out
case, facts or no facts, q vast amount
of exaggeration and misstatement are
resorted to.
For example, the Herald asserts that
flour is fully IS per cent. higher than
at the lowest point year ago." In
quiry shows that on the date on which
this assertion was made patent flour
was quoted at $3.50 per barrel of 1876
pounds, against S4.75 a year ago, an adj
vance of less than one per cent. and not
"55 per cent. higher"
The Herald states that corn is nine
to ten per cent. higher, granulated
sugar over II per cent. higher"
On the day when these false figures
were given to the world corn closed at
32.37 cents, against 30.S7 cents year
before; less than five and not ten per
cent. higher" and the advance oil
sugars, caused by a tariff of three
tenths of cent per pound, made nee
essary by the increase Of revenue called
for in order to meet the additional SILL
$50, 900 of annual interest on bonds is
sued by the free trade administration
to provide for deficits in the revenue,
is not at per cent?" butts III per cent.
on granulated, 81 on crushed and 1913
on raw sugar.
"Molasses" is seven to nine per cent.
higher, says the Herald.
On that day Porto Rico n1olasses was
quoted at 2S cents, the same price as
year ago.
'Pork is over 33h per cent. higher"
Mess pork was quoted at $S.25, against
$3.50 the previous year.
Mutton is over 25 per cent. higher"
Here is some truth, for the price of
mutton sheep has undergone sharp adj
vance since the adoption of the tariff on
wool, and the sheep owners of the
United States are more than 100000
900 richer in consequence.
potatoes are more than 100 per cent.
higher"
The average of quotations in the mar
l1et was $1.S5, against $1.06 year ago,
an advance of rs per cent. and not
"more than 100 per cent" and the fact
is dishonesty suppressed that the diff
ference is wholly due to the failure Of
the crop.
"Apples are more than 100 per cent.
higher"
Apples, in fact, average two dollars,
against $1.03 per barrel a year ago,
which is not lover 100 per cent?" but
again the failure of this crop is dis
honestly suppressed.
"Butter is more than Is per cent.
higher"
Best state butter was quoted at 20
cents, against 18 cents a year ago;
which is not "more than IS per cent.
higher"
Eggs are over ten per cent. higher"
The best state eggs were quoted at 23
cents, against 26 cents a year ago;
which is lower, and not ''over ten 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 par with wool.
Who Is to pay for this increased cost of
wooden cloths?"
The average of 100 quotations of do
mestic wool was 20,73 cents, against
1892 year ago; which is SO per cent.
advance, and not from so to 100 per
cent. higher" Also, the truth is dis
honestly suppressed that wooden cloths
were selling only AL per cent. higher
than year ago, taking the average of
many standard grades, and that the
cost of made-up clothing had not yet
! advanced at all. When the people do
pay a higher price for clothing they
will pay it for the restoration of work
and prosperity to more than 100000
people dependent upon wooden mill OPP
eratives, of whom about q third were
idle year ago.
"Hides are 40 per cent. hiSt,e-. aud
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 was 1876 against 1852 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 was on that day a shade
lower at Boston than a year ago, and
that the average selling price of boots
and shoes, taking the standard grades
of each class, was IL per cent. lower