Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-08-04
LIVING EXPENSES.
Are Going Higher and Higher
With No End in View.

w NV Flu NtCW.
The Housewife Finds it Difficult to
Provide a Good Fable AT any Thing
Like Former e0st-Hotels not making
Cent at the Present Rates What
F0Od-stuffs are Bringing in the
Local Markets.
Market prices for all edibles except
milk, cream, fish, coffee, sugar, a few
other groceries and some other little
things, have been creeping up in price
for several years until the good house
wife has her own troubles nowadays
TO keep up the table at anything like
former rates. Nobody seems to under
stand why this should be true all over
the country but all concerned agree
that It is a fact Those interested
infer that beef mutton, pork and
other fresh meats have been crowd ed
up by the trust; that ham, bacon and
other cured meats have gone up be-
cause people eat them instead of fresh
meat-a sort Of sympathetic strike;
that vegetables and green goods are
high 10 such towns as Morgantown
on account OF the great demand of
such a rapidly growing town; but no.
body can explain why edibles are high
at all points in the United States
whether enjoying boom or not.
The increase in living became so
apparent to Morgantown hotel keepers
that on March lst meeting was held
and prices advanced for table
board to S. at the Wallace and Pea
body and 81 at the Franklin. Since
that time the increase has continued
and the Franklin has been forced to
increase their rates to SIS for table
board and while the other hotels have
not further advanced rates such a
move is being seriously considered.
1t rarely happens that there is a
vacant room in the hotels of the city
and the demand is so great for table
board that fully fifty applicants have
been refused board at each hotel In
the last month unless they could Sc
cure rooms outside and it is difficult
matter to secure rooms at all in the
city even at $1.50 and 81 per week.
The boarding houses, which are be-
coming very numerous are all crowded.
A few of them give board as cheap as
So a week but 81 and S. is a more
common rate and while the glass
blowers were all here ole boarding
house received So for room and board
with four persons In room.
The cost of living has materially
increased among house-holders, as
well as at the boarding houses and
hotels, and has quite kept pace with
the increase in wages. Some claim
that the advance to house-holders is
more apparent than real-that the
working people are living better than
formerly and are getting more for
their money. While this is true in
many cases the good housewife who
conducts her table on exactly the same
plan as in former years will insist
that it costs her fully rs per cent
more now than then.
The increase in wages and the GER
tainty of employment in this city at
the present time enables everyone to
indulge in better houses, better cloth
ing and better food than they were
accustomed to before the present con-
ditions of prosperity set in. No man
need be without we'll paid employ
ment in this part Of the country.
Labor is very scarce. Wages for ordin-
airy labor are now $3.50 as against 81
and $l.25 few years ago. The i'm
prOvementS among mechanics ana
every other class of wage earners has
been similar. Hence, with more mon
ely to spend, their requirements have
become greater, and dealers with
whom they are accustomed to buy
their supplies have been able to
charge them higher prices and sell
them more goods.
There is 40 dsputing the advance
ia the price of food supplies OF all
kinds. They were never so high as
now. Even canned goods, which at
this season of the year are usually Of
fered at almost any price to clear the
shelves, are at least ten per cent
higher than usual, and tomatoes are
bringing Is and Is cents, corn 81 cts,
apples 10 cents, and peaches from 10
to % cts, in the Morgantown mar
kets.
The increase in the price of feed has
been very marked and at the present
time baled hay is selling at $40 Fer
ton-there being no loose hay on the
market. Oats, which brought 10
cents few days ago are down to 50
now, cora is so cents per bushel,
brand is selling at $l.25 per hundred,
chors at $l.60 per hund red, and flour
is bringing from So to IS cents per
sack.
Apples are selling at 80 cts. per peck
in the retail markets and at 81 per
bushel 10 quantities. Potatoes which
RIM nm to 80 and even 81 so during