The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1900-04-28
WHAT Will IT COST.

four propositions, which are ire
quently cited together, as "Engefs
Law"
People of sense would have
guessed at these propositions; but
even they like to see them confirmed |
by statistics. The distinct propo-
sitions are
First, that the greater the in
come, the smaller in the relative
percentage of outlay for subsistence.
Second, that the percentage of
outlay for clothing is approximate
" the same, whatever the income.
Third, that the percentage of
outlay for lodging or rent, and for
fuel or light, is invariably the same,
whatever the income. It is, III
fact, IL per cent of the income.
Fourth, that, as the income in
creases in amount, the percentage
of outlay for sundries becomes
greater.
The standard of comfort in this
country is higher than that OF Eu-
rope. 1t was proved twenty years
ago that, while, as has been said,
the German workman paid IL per
cent of his income for lodging, fuel,
and light, and, while in England
the average workingman pays 1914
per cent for them, the average
workingman in Illinois pays 17.42
per cent for them, and in Massa-
chusetts nearly 20 per cent. I'm
fortunately, life is, in comparison,
so easy with us that comparatively
few people know much about the
division of their own expenses.
Few people whom you meet, for
instance, could tell you whether
their butter costs more than their
bread, or their fuel more than their
boots and shoes. But enough peo-
pie do keep such accounts for Mr..
Carroll Wright to be able to teach
us II years ago that, if the average
workingman in Massachusetts had
$1,000 to spend, his expenditure
would be divided thus: Groceries,
$2o5. 20; other provisions, $197 60;
fuel, $43; ''dry goods" $50; boots,
shoes, and slippers, $50. 80; cloth
ing, $1o3. 40; rent, $197.4o; sun
dries, $Io7.3o; total, 81, 900.
I recur to these fundamental
principles in the matter of personal
expense, because the national gov
erument has just now published a
valuable paper on the prices which
have ruled in the last ten years;
and tbs results shown III this paper
are both significant ahd important.
3. They are some times all-important
in the questions of economy and
frugality, which have SO much to
do with the success of honest peo-
pie in daily life. They are also
= very closely connected with our
content or discomfort in the matter
of Our daily wages. Thus, while
we scold about the gamblers and
the stock exchange, we are apt to
forget that the rise and fall in the
cost of the same articles of food are
sometimes as remarkable as that of
the stocks sold by the money-brok-
ers. For instance, the wholesale
price of lard in July, 1896, was
Hardly more than one-third of what
; the same article sold for in January,
1893. The smaller price was al
most exactly three-eighths of the
higher price. The report of which
I speak is prepared by DR.. Faux
ner with great care, and published
at Washington by the Department
of Labor. It is impossible to
abridge it within the compass of
'our columns. But l like to have
everybody know that, on the whole,
prices have been steadily falling be-
tween the beginning of the year
1890 and the period six months
ago when this report closed. In
food, for instance, the summary
shows that the same amount OF
food which ON Jan. I, 1890, could
be bought for $1,000 could be