The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-09-16
TO LIVE A COSTLY LUXURY.

Chairman Griggs, of the Democratic
Congressional Committee is presenting
strong arguments against the trusts, and
is using the matter Of the prevailing
prices for the necessaries of life to show
that the prosperity song of the Re
Dublicans does not stand when cold facts
are considered.
In doing this he shows by plain figures
and statements that in the last few
years the price of many necessarles OF
life. produced or controlled by the trusts
have increased to a far greater extent
than any increase in wages.
Speaking of the Republican cry of
"prosperity," and the full dinner pail,
Mr.. Griggs says that it is 'tfallacious and
misleading and if any man with a fixed
income will sit down and figure for fif-
teen minutes he will find it to be So.
His description of true prosperity is
that when times are truly prosperous
prices are usually high, but wages are
correspondingly high also. They keep
pace with the accessories and luXuries,
and the high prices are not felt by the
man with the fixed income. A mar with
money in his pocket does not ask the
price of a thing, but buys it. When be
has no money, he is not interested in a
low price, because he cannot buy even
that which is cheap. Prosperity is har-
mony between prices and wages. we
nave no such harmony, and our present
prosperity is more apparent than real.
In showing that this purchasing power
is less, Chairman Griggs says, this:
The man with a fixed income from
wages or salary has been having his in
come chopped ever since 1897 by the in
crease in prices. Every man knows
whether his income has been increased
during the last three or four years. II
it has not been increased from 10 to 100
per cent, then he is losing money COM
pared to his condition in 1897 and 1898
and that IN 1902"
In making a comparison here is an
IAdoNi IIo VI NhN - 49, -
chasing power of a dollar in 1902 as COM
pared with what it could do in 1897. The
decrease as in per cent. has been on
common soap 1914, starch 101s, roasting
beef Is 2-3, hams 3. shoulders II. lard
1915, butter 201s, cheese 121a, potatoes
121s, brown sheeting 351s, bleached sheet
ing 39a, tickling 1872, these being a few
of a list of hundreds Of articles.
A student of figures will find that there
has been an increase in the cost of living
in the past four years of from 80 to 325
per cent. on various articles, and it is a
condition that should open the eyes of the
people to the robbery by means of out
rageous prices that are being made by the
trusts. 1t is possible for every house
keeper to make this comparison for all
that is necessary is to get the accounts
of the past five years and note the in
crease.
State Chairman Simmons wrote to
Chairman Griggs and sent him a number
of statements secured by Mr.. Z. p. Sale,
sanitary officer of Raleigh, and among
these the following facts were obtained:
MIR. c. +. Cook, a printer, says that
the present prices of articles, such as
beef, bulk meat, lard. flour and cornmeal,
are about one-third higher now than
three years ago, and that his wages have
not been increased during that period.
Mr. II. j. Heiling, janitOr of the
Fucker building, makes the Same state
mcnt, and Mr.. c. E. Crawford. of Craw-
ford d Sons. makes the statement that
beef and pork are onc-third higher now
than three years ago"
Such statements as these show that
the prosperity" and full dinner pail
cry of the Republicans is a rank humbur.
They say that things arc we'll enough
ana should be let alone, but if the peo-
pie OF this country can be made to realize
how deeply the trusts are putting their
hands into the consumers pockets thew
will drive from power the party of trusts.
and in its place give power to Dcmoc-
racy, the real and only enemy of this
monster of tho age.