The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1902-08-20
The Cost of Living.

Il - WOOAtJ oAAo " n-oOs HlAOA
formerly met all the demands
of the household and satisfied
the claims of the butcher, the
baker, the grocer and the vsn-
dors of fruits and vegetables, is
now plainly inadequate. To add
to the yexations of spirit and trib-
ulations of the average Citizen. coal
has become almost a luxury, the
price of anthracite soaring to alti-
tudes which are sorely discourage
ing to the thrifty person who tries
to save something out of his earn
ings. With a few exceptions,
prices have advanced along the
whole line of necessary commodi-
ties. There has not. however been
an advance in wages. although ons
or two of the industrial combina-
nations have granted their employees
slight increase in wages.
The thirty-second annual report
of the Massachusetts Bureau of
Statistics contains interesting and
instructive facts relating to the
change in the price level since
the figures cover retail prices in
the various towns and cities in that
commonwealth. The people of
Massachusetts, are thrifty bargain
ers. Prices of the commodities of
household consumption are prob
ably kept down to the lowest possi-
BILE level. Yet Massachusetts, feels
the advance in the cost of living as
sccutely as other states. Accord
ing to the Bureau of Statistics,
there has been an increase of 10 "a
per cent. in the prios of provisions
in 1902 as compared with 1897.
Prices of nearly all commodities
were higher, it is true, in 1872 than
at the present time. But that was
an era of imitation. the legacy of
the Civil War. The prices which
obtained then do not constitute
reasonable basis of comparison
with 1902.
Comparing the purchasing power
of one dollar in 1897 with it's pur-
chasing power in 1902, the Massa-
ohusetts statisticans find that buy
ers of household commodities are
at far greater disadvantage now
than they were FIVE years ago. The
meats for instance. The quality of
roast beef purchasable now for 81
shows a decrease of 1864 per cent;
of rump steak. 797 per cent; of
veal, 90 80 per cent; of mutton
2.39 per cent; of fresh pork, % 10
per cent; of salt pork, 1921 per
cent; of lard, 40.13 per cent of
butter, 20 10 per cent; of potatoes,
1912 per cent of milk. IL Ia per
cent. In 1897 the buyer could pur-
chase 6 s5 pounds or roasting beef
for 81. He can get only 5.7l
pounds in 1892. One dollar in 1897
would buy II Sc pounds of soup
beef. The purchaser in 1902 must
be content with four pounds less.
One dollar five years ago would buy
II sc pounds of veal forequarter,
or 140S pounds of mutton (leg),
or 10 pounds of fresh pork Now
the marketer must be content with
9 II pounds of veal forequsrtsr, or
9.52 pounds of mutton forequarter,
or 8 II pounds of leg of mutton, or
7.19 pounds of fresh pork,
These are only few instances
of the marked decline in the pur-
chasing power of the doll ,r in the
past five years. The Massachusetts
statisticains think there is some
compensation in the decreased
price of groceries, comparison with
1897 showing decline of Z 03 per
cent. in favor of 1902. But, as the
increase In the price of provisions
is 1854, the comparison is wholly
inadequate, and lacks a great deal
of filling the aching void in the
purse of the perplexed housekeep-
er. But not all groc cries show a
decline in price. Boston has to
pay 36,39 per cent more. for cod
fish than it paid in 1897; AZ Sc per
cent. more for beans; 16 3s per cent.
for tea; 461 per cent. for brown
sugar; % 53 per cent. for common
soap; I'LL per cent. for starch
1923 per cent. for cheese. There
has also been a substantial advance
in the cost of dry goods, the in
crease being as follows: sheeting,
(brown) 5294 per cent; bleached
sheeting. 64.10 per cent; cotton