Waterbury Democrat., 1902-09-12
THE COST OF LIVING.

1t IS pointed out by an American paper that there is a higher level of living nowadays, that Us prosperity in creases q new pace is set, and so fam fly vies with family. Certainly here in the city of Mexico this is the case. No one is satisfied with simple and relatively cheap furniture so common sixteen years ago; in every depart ment of house-furnishing there is in creased luxury and a higher taste exa hibited, and all this cost more money. A young couple cannot start out in married life nowadays with a relative ly small amount of money. The Mexi- can custom of beginning housekeeping at once is @ sound one, but to furnish house according to the new reuuire- ments of taste, to meet the new social exlgenc1es, is certainly four times as expensive as 1t was in 1885, And in- comes are nowhere four times as large.
 Here, as in the United States. pros- perry, the increased business move ment, has not brought contentment to the middle class. The keeping up of appearances" puts thousands of fami- lies on the rack. The women long ago gave up the lace head-dress for the Ffench hat, and their expenditure for dress is far greater than in the sim pier times when a government em- piOyee with $125 a month nainfainad a family here without worrying him self almost into the grave. Twice tba+ sum VIII not cover the expense of a siiIaiI family now, except by the most ptnGhing economies being put in force. : 4and they are common enough bnbind the veil of Has apariencias.,
 n the interior the cost of living has Ilsen' III some cities fully 70 per cent. uurlng the past eight years. Houses rent [. n cities like Guadalajara. More ll la, FueDla, etc for double sometimes three times, former prices. Provisions \ ls adso nave greatly increased in cost mere are little towns where tbe standard of living is unchanged Wnere the women wear cheap cottou IaDrlcs and the men very plain cloth- Ing, Where houses are simply fnr- nlshed and rents are very low. A fam fly In such a town, say a family of .fiva persons, can live well on $70 a month ana be bowling swells on S1O0 bu+ salaries and incomes in such town ] are ln proportion. Many men heId l, i,, respecr III these small communities do not earn $5O q month, and vet +tav lnalnLaln their familesl The aga of miracles is not ended. But no man is, gong 70 the interior to live. unless be mas liked income which makes bir, ence. " eAisl-
 LooKlng at the question of inc in-
 creased cost of living in all progress slVe communities, it is clear ano,,e,,,
 that there is a new level of comfo,.+
 not to speak of luxury: that a1so +ba 7,
 growing plethora of gold in 3civiIi1ad
 nallons has begun to send ,lp nriaas
 as was long ago predicted. Tn Nfevico
 tne cost of living is largely increa sefl
 wherever there is an active bussnass movement; in dull and stagnants in
 terror towns the old standard holds apour the same, though there is silgnE upward tendency percentib1e ID prices, tendency sure to acceler- ate as the business of those n1aees feels the influence of the new nation I
 activity. If one wishes to see how
 MeXicans lived in great contentment and with entire ease, as in the days before the railways, he has only to leave the busy cities and tbriyino towns and betake himself to the towns
 where communication with the outside world is kept up by stages, wagons, cts. 2 z "
 The unrest of the modern world has to De paid for: the new culture and more refined tastes cost good money.
 For few. the fortunate, things are
 better for the great majority, not on- ly in Mexico, but abroad, the worry of life has been increased. Mexican Her aid.