The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-20
SOME COMPARISONS M.
MADE
TIE DOGGY MAN" THIS YEAR IS
THE PRICE OF BEEF.
Cost of Mems and WOmen's Clothing
Varies According TO Caprice
other Features.

'N 80 go 1A1 N1RNNN1A4f 80 NO ~
year. and inquiry aas been made
TO ascertain to what extent this
idea is justified by facts. Men who
have been identified with the leading bust
ness concerns Of the city for a number of
years and who have perfect knowledge re-
gsrding such important branches OF the
subject as the rates Of rents for houses and
apartments, the prices OF the leading table
supplies and the cost Of clothing claim that
while there has been a material increase
IN the last five years it Is due entirely to
natural causes. They further say that
ever since business houses nave been in
existence during a period of every five or
ten years the aggregate price of everything
when reduced to an average will show an
Increase. The principal reason for this is
that the population OF the country is stead
iy growing. the uninhabited regions OF the
West are continually being settled and ev-
cry country village is now spreading out
and taking on the ways of a prosperous
town and every small town has the aspect
or a city.
With this growth in population the de-
mand for the necessities Of life naturally
becomes greater and the prices, OF course.
increase accordingly. for it is through the
4-A-1AA4 NhAt al mar MT pItCES u 6ku
lated. It is also shown that people are buy
ins a better grade of goods and buying
more in every line than they lid five years
ago: in fact. this can he saia OF as short
a time as last year. Merchants generally
say although this is always looked upon as
the dull season il has rot proven so this
year, for they are now selling as much as
during any time in the year. and consid-
arQh1xr rr0- H. g. L
With this increased demand it takes more
men to handle the business. and it is
shown that wages have also increased over
what they were five or six years ago. and
this likewise tends to raise the prices of
things mostly in demand.
NO TENEMENT HOUSES.
indianapolis has no tenement houses for
fits laboring people. but most all that class
live In small cottages consisting of from two
TO six rooms. for which they pay s. to SO
a month These kind of houses are mostly
situated near the outskirts of the city, but
for those centrally located a higher rent is
demanded. The rents for these cottages
have practically remained stationary for
the last three years There is an excellent
demand now for new flats and medium
sized houses that range In price of rent
from $40 to SIS per month. The call for the
better class OF flats is always good and a
very good class of tenants Is obtained. For
families 20 live in flats has become so popu-
lar in this city in the last few years that
IL is seldom the case that an apartment in
one Of them is every found vacant. Most
all of the flats in this city are centrally To-
Gated. and the rents paid for them are COM
parativeiy low when considered with those
of other cities. About the average rent
paid for these apartments is 500 a year.
while for the larger and more desirable
$40 a year is charged. There has been a
great amount OF fiat building here, and with
IL an Increase of -conveniences and ~luxuries,
for which people in the recent prosperous
times have been willing to pay.
As one real-estate agent said. there is
always a demand here for a dwelling or
apartment at a fair price. and IL one per-
son is unwilling or unable to take it an
other can and will. There has been an in
crease OF about 10 to IL per cent. in the
rents for the better grades of dwellings.
This raise Is Occasioned by the scarcity of
vacant houses, for landlords claim that
they have fewer Of them this year than at
any time during the last ten years. There
has never been as few houses for rent as
this summer, IL being next 10 impossible TO
find a vacant house in any part of the city.
and this can particularly be said Of the
northeastern and southern sections. Rent
agents say that there is nothing which
shows more conclusively that indianapolis
Is growing than the fact that the demand
for houses Is greater than the supply. The
medium-Sized house that ranges In the
price OF rents OF from $40 TO SIS a month
IS the most popular. and of this kind there
are hardly any vacant. About the only
dwelling that can be procured now is the
large modern house that the fat takes the
place OF, and there is not an overabundanc
OF hem. 1t is said that the slight increase
OF rents IN the better class OF dwellings and
apartments Is not wholly due TO the de-
mand. but TO the peoples willingness 10
Pay more or better accommodations.
ADVANCE IN BEEF PRICES.
The advance in the price OF beef this year
and the controversy connected with 1t are
familiar to all. Under ordinary conditions.
according 20 reliable authorities. beef aver.
ages about two-thirds Of all OF the meat
consumed, and its present dearness is the
chief cause Of the high prices for other
meats and poultry. 1t is dificult TO md
trustworthy average figures OF the cost OF
meats any considerable number Of years
ago. but they were generally higher in 1901
thar in 1900. This year the difference is
very marked. As compared with a year
ago. by the figures OF an extensive and
high-class retail butcher firm. beef is high.
er by from 9 10 > cents a pound. mutton BY
from l 10 . cents a pound. lamb by ? cents a
pound. fresh pork and all pork products BIZ
about ? cents a pound. while veal Is selling
the same as last year. Since the rise in tbs
price Of meats has gone into effect the
trade has fallen OF about one-third. The
demand for smoked meats has greatly in.
creased. and. therefore. the price OF ham
has advanced 1 cent a pound. while bacor
!. has gone up ? cents. but the increase II
these meats is only natural. because the,
are always in favor during hot weather
AL sailed pork likewise has slightly gone
up IN price. Poultry has undergone an ad.
vance over what il was a year ago. Full
grown hens are now selling ? cents a pound
higher than they did last year and spring