The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1902-01-16
WAGES AND COST = LIVING.
soUs Facts HeBaFdisE arFeHpeFsty'
Cleaned frsm a Reliable
samrre

than ever before. The following are
the Index" figures for January l.
lspo, July I, 1891, January 1, 1900. and
January /. lg02;
iS3s. January l. Breadstufls. i3 -. meats.
t6na: dsiry and garden. ise7s, other food
s&S; olo,innE. Ass: meialr 1885, mis-
/ ccilaneoes. i8iii. Total. s0ial
July Oowi-flTeadstuns. ieSs5 rnsais.
/ Ttca dairy and g4Ydsn. Esit. other food
1881. clothing. ia asB. mstam, ii.ct2. riis-
crlinnsuus, i2.1@ Total, ass
1874, January l--IlreadstufiF, - Sc. mtais,
l&s' dairy ana garden, i1iCs. other iood,
s,Ao, clothing u ts4. metals. Ntebi mis-
= ecllaucous. iS3lai Total IS sS
laas, JanEary i-IlFesastui7s, aaea2; meats,
eeo. dairy and garseu, l6
$50. clothing. hbf7. metals. ldass misr
/ eeilaneons, iGTW Total. ial 81
The totah show that the cost OF
living was six per cent. greater in
1900 than in 1890; u per cent greater
In 1900 than In 1897; and 90 pcr cent.
/ greater in 1908 than in 1887.
| Judging by the cost OF living We
are certainly Ia the midst Of record
breaking prosperity. This is also In.
I dicated ity the distribution on the
I hrai of the year of the greatest
dividends ever made on the bonds
and stocks Of railroads and industrial
companies. We may also observe
what "gyn the blind can see--that
the last four years have been che
greatest ,rust-forming period 10 our
history. Nearly every commodity Is
now controlled by some trust and
ia carried by railroads working In
harmony. OF course. We know that
trusts cheaper production and lower
the cost Of living, aud that that Il
their chief reason for existing; but
somehow prices nearly always go up
when a trust Is formed, and here Ne
arr at the beginning Of 1907 with
more trusts than ever before aud
prices At the highest notch ever re-
corded.
But % course yge are enjoying ua
hsard-of prosperity Let no one
deny this statement! n some pessl.
mist tries 20 stir up aHtagoHism be-
tween wage-earneFs and employers
by pointing 10 tkis remarkable IN
crease In the cost cf living aud by
telling the waEe-enrncrs that the
manufacturers are pockcting all the
difference in prize and that the ware
earners are not earning or getting
more money now than formerly. tell
this old cronk that mot only are the
wagr-earuers receiving much better
pay than nt the earlier date, but they
are wei! employed" This Is the lam
Euagc Of Dun's Review. which fur
ther treasures us that "thc rate OF
wages Is Of 'riaing importance when
ths rc ln no work. II was estimated
by labor experts at the time that
., ,aOn. .nOa men were unable Ia find EN-
poyment. This means that 100000
persons were living on as little as
possible, snd consequently the con
sumptiYe demand was rcdaced to the
lowest point. At the present time
there Is little difiicuity In meeting
the higher level of quotations. for
there Is full employment, aud each
mau has only his own family 10 think
of instead Of host of unfortunate
relatives and friends. as was the ease
during the earlier period"
On the other hand. the wagc-earnrr
benefits by lower rents and better
accommodations, which have foi-
lowed the increase of money seek
ing Investment and consequent fall
In interest rates"
The Review also hastens 90 remind
the wage-earuer, who mas not like
the look Of Dun's figures In regard
TO the cost of living. of the pheaome-
nal growth IN the deposits in savings
banks and the increased amount of
life Insurance policies. These IL says
do not indicate that ''the manufae-
tureFs and the capitalists are pocket
ing all the profits"
These statements are very comfort
ing 60 the millions of workingInen
who are too busy to read census
statistics but who. although they are
working harder than ever. find them
selves falling behind frnm year to
year and who ARE becoming NO
troublesome that some of ske rail-
roaia are raising wages slightly to
prevent strikes. In fact, not only
has the cost OF living greatly In.
creased during the last ten years, but
wages. money wages, have been de-
clining.
About the middle Of December the
journal Of Commerce and CONNER
eial' Bulletin of New York contained
the following statement:
Census bulletins for the manlfac-
lures of "a territories. agricultural
Etates and four small manufacturing
states -- Connecticut, Rhode Island.
New Hampshire and Delaware show
In ten years an increase of az per
cent. in capital invested saa OF per
cent IN the value of output, of 81
per cent. In fs- auntbsY of wage.
earners and 30 per cent In the
amount Of wages"
According 80 census statistics then
money wages Were about three per
cent. lower in 1poO than In 1890. lie.
ports for South Carolina and Tennes-
Eee were made public E,eceml..-r 30
ard 81. The figures for SOUTH Caro-
!;na showed that average iEoa.y
wages weg 20 per cent. lower in 1900
than In 1ssg. Those for Tennessee
showed u decline OF nine psr cent.
IL wages. nnn's cost-of-lifinE fig
ures show an increase of six iler
cent. from 1890 TO 1905. As com
pared with the 1890 wags-earner che
1856 wAge-esrFer got ea or - eenss
Instead Of ene dollar for his labor
whl.n the cost of geoda had gone np
from ONE dollar to 500. Actual
wnReS then declined over nins per
cent from 1875 tn 1900. A. both Of
these were considered 60 be peasreF.
eas years sbe eoHpsrisea iK eHtirriS
fair.
The cost ei living rasa avsr 10 per
cent. from 1897 10 fe0a. favr av-
erage money wsgss Tisaa EaH a.
msich even after making #ilo~nnee
for tkr greater numlKr of unrm-
ripS-sd In 1877 hut. the ssasiafleians
nre telling ~. there were more WON.
IN and children employed In 1900
thaH In 1890. II 10. why9 np IRE fers
sxsss @.ssr smfzas <es<13 zsx2.. zs.s. - -. -