The Bemidji pioneer., 1902-10-09
CALL HIM IN.

SOlu6 VSIy, YdludDlc 1dCIS S5dL ~
ing the relative cost of family
living in 1899, 1900 and 1901. His
figures have a very economic
value, for it is safe. to say that
the comparative cost Of the arti-
,cles included in his statistics
does not differ essentially from
that in all other parts of the
country, on an average. But the
entire cost of living, the country
over, would doubtless show a
wider variation than do the fig
ures submitted, for they do not
include vegetables, but only those
things that had to be bought,
as groceries, -four, meat, etc,
and it will be remembered that
vegetables were very much high
-er in 1900 and 1901 than in 1899,
which would make the cost Of
living relatively higher to those
who have to buy vegetables.
In 1899 there were 1852 weeks
boarded. The cost for groceries
of all kinds, -four, meats, help,
cooking, laundrying, etc, was
$547. 80, making the average cost
per week $1.55. In 1900 there
were 423 weeks boarded, at a
cost of 1882, or So week, and
in 1901 507 weeks were boarded,
at a cost of 1861. .25, or S1.89 per
week. The average cost the ar
ticles included in these figures
for the last two years was 25 per
cent higher than the first year,
and If to this be added the in
creased cost of other articles
consumed by family, and of
rent, it must be confessed that
cost of living to the average wage
Garner has been increased much
more than have his wages, for it
is not claimed that wages, on the
average, have been increased
more than 10 per cent. In fact,
it is boasted that wages have
been advanced to that extent.
The above is from a recent
number of the Farm, Stock and
Home, a leading populist agricul-
tural paper in Minnesota. 1t
shows Mr.. Hoverstat in by no
means a favorable light; and if he
has no better capacity for fig
ures than is shown in the above
statement purporting to have
been made by him, he should be
called in by the administration
and taught the ordinary tables of
arithmetic. He was evidently
occupying too soft a berth dur
ing the hard times which existed
between '93 and '97 for his gentle
and democratic soul to appreci-
ate the prosperity which has
since come to the rest of man.
kind. For if he had been on the
rolls of the laboring man himself
luring the five years mentioned,
1e would be very well aware at
jhe present time that his wages
lad been increased at least Is
Der cent since '97 and since the
election of William Mckinley, the
edvance agent of prosperity.
Anyway, if his memory is no
onger than a chickens, he would
know that from '93 to '97 almost
my common laborer was very
slad to get employment at fifty
'ents per day and board, and =
many of them were even glad to
work. for their board. Whereas, l.
It the present time all through S
and the Dakotas, and c
his is probably true of the rest a
# the country, common laborers Il
lraw all the way from 81 to SIZE b
'er day and board, according to G.
he particular push of the bust. h
less in hand, whether it be har- a
esting or logging operations. u
This is the common experience t,
nd observation of every man h
Who wishes to hire men and of b
very man who wishes to be Ii
lired. No laboring man to-day o
Worries about the occupation of
o-morrow, and the bare increase
f Is per cent in the cost of living |,
ONES not out of the laboring e.
1an but out of the man who en- k
'loys him. 3
If Gov. Van SAINT is the same N
ind of republican that he was al
hen he received his first nomi. b.
alton for governor, he would