The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-09-14
AS ARGUED BY eRICGS
HAS SOMETHING 70 sAY. OF
THE GULL DINNER FAIL.
Declares That the Workineman's
Bucket il Not Full to Overflow
ing a. Represented by the
Republicans.

nothing from the Republican press now
ana will hear nothing from the Republic
can spell binders later on. except the
cry of prosperity and full dinner pail.
says Chairman James M. Griggs Of the
Democratic Congressional Committee
yesterday. F.,I
This Republican cry Is fallacious ana
misleading ana n any man with a fixed
income win sit down and figure for fif-
teen minutes. he will ind 1t is 80.
Prosperity. en-? what is prosperity
When times are truly prosperous, prices
OF everything arc usually high, but wages
are correspondingly 80. They keep pace
with high prices OF nscessaries and lux
suriss OF life and the higir p,ices are not
felt by the man with a hxed income.
when man has money in his pocket to
Luy what he ;eds he does not ask the
pi ice, he buys IL. When he has no mon
'ey, d low, price does not interest him.
because. he can't buy 4il.sS Prosperity
means harmony between prices and
wagss We have no such harmony,
Therefore. our present prosperity Is
more apparent than real.
The man with fixed income from
wages or salary, has, been having his
income chopped ever, since 1897 by the
increase in prices. Every man knows
whether hi, income has been increased
during the past three or four years. II 1t
has no, be en- increased from 10 to 100
per. cent, then he H.. lasing money COM
pa-ed t, his condition in 1ss7 and 1888
ana that Of 1900, -. ;a.fs
Take for fnsts sc. the thirty-seccnd
annual report of the Massachusetts Bu-
resu of statistics Of Labor. That IL a
document compiled by good Republicans
II shows the purchase power OF a dollar
for the years 1897 an ! 1899 on number
of articles Of daily necessity In the do
nestle economy of the average man
homo. In 1902, dollar will buy less than
in 1891 of the following articles by the
folt wing percentages:
Common soap, ~. 1-4ssper cent less;
ctarch. 10 Is per c,nt less; roasting beef,
is 2-3 per cent less: soup beef, IL 2-3 per
cent less; rump steak beef per cent
ie5s: corn beef, Z per cent less; Forequar-
te:. veal, q 1-3 per cent iess: findquarter
veal. II per cent less; veal outlets. IL l-2
PEI cent less; forequartec mutton. % Id
per cent less; leg mutton, Y 4-5 per cent
less: fresh pork, IS Is per cent iess' sat-
ed pork, rs 2-5 per cent less; hams, per
cent less: shoulders, IL per cent less;
sau.ages. IS 1-2 per cent less; lard 40 1-s
per cent less; butter. 20 La per cent less:
cheese, IL 1-2 per cent. less: milk. IL i-S
per. cent less: potatoes. ILLS per cent.
less; coal 10 per cent. less; brown sneet-
ing 35 is per cent. less; bieacneu ssnee'-
ing. 20 ga per cent. less; ticking. il IL
per cent. less; house rent 40 per cent.
less.
This report also contains table OF
the earnings Of the head OF famiy
and their relation to the family expendi-
lures It icomprehends the earnings ana
of haada Af families,
The average weekly wage Of ia family
heads Is shown to be $is.7s. In the other
% cases the average weekly wage
amounts to s11.31. the total yearly earn
ings of the head: averaging for the l52
families 1854. In n instances the earn
ings Of the head exceeded the amount
expended. In four instances the accounts
balance and in 127 instances however,
about four-fifths OF the entire number,
the earnings Of the head were insufficient
to meet the family expenditures
Does this look like prosperity for
the workingmen? 1t must be remem-
bered also that these figures were COM
piled In 1901 and the report issued early
this year. The prices on all these neces-
sa ries OF life are now much higher than
in 1901. EspeciaIly'is this true Of coal and
beef the prices of both being manipu-
lated by "a trust, In proof Of this. I sub
nit the following letter from a miner IN
West yirsinia -. j.. a s.
i 'Fayette, Fayette County. w va.
Il - August 10. 1902.
Hon. j. II. Griggs Chairman Democratic
ri Congressional conmittse, Washing
ton, D.. C.
Dear Sir:-I take IL that you are in
terestcd In trust pricss and I send you
the prices that laboripg man has to
pay today for the neeessaries Of life,
as compared with the prices of 1873. am
a cqaA miner and have been for twenty
seven years, Under this supposed pros
perity' that we now hear, so much
about have received an increase of %
per cent, in wages. but have been on
strike. together with other miners, for
nearly three months. striking for an in
crease of wages In keeping with the
prices we have to pay. for the necessaries
of life and for recognition OF our I'M
ion. which seems, to be che only hope
that labor ioutsde OF veting right has
in these days OF this Imaginary pros
perity'' and government by injunction.
In 1902 have to pay 80 SCENTS per gallon
70: oil that 1 use in the mines. but the
cans only hold three quarts! Everything
else Is in proportion. itemizcd as fol-
lows, for the years 1898 and 1902:
Bank oil. formerly IS cent? per gal. now
80 cents.
Powder, formerly $i.2O per key; now
$e.25 .t. '.+E
Flour. formerly $3.50 per barrel; now 81
Bacon. formerly s 1-S cents per pound;
now 16 2=S cents. -
Beef. formerly 1-s CENTS per pound ;
now ~ cents.
Grsnuleted suger. formerly IL cents
per pund; now 10 cent?.
Tea. formerly 40 cents per pound; now
20 cent? &C.,.
Canned toma soes. formerly 50 cents per
dozen; now $50.
Corn. formerly 81 per dozen; now 81.
Rice. formerly 8 cents per pound; now
S 1-3 cents.
Breawfagt food. formerly 10 cents per
tox; now i6 cents.
Rolled oates. formerly s i-s cents per
box now L. 1-2 cents.
Currents, formerly 6 IA, cents per
pound: now L. IL cents.
Raisins, formerly I-3 cents per pound;
now II IL cents.
Dried appl"s. formerly 4 cents per
pound, now IL 1-2.
Meal. formerly 30 cents per bushel now
81.
Lard. formerly I IL cents per pound,
now Is cents. r".. '.
Dried beans, formerly , cents per pound,
now 3 cent? 81.