The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-05-18
THE COST OF LIVING.
Col. Wright Shows That It Has In.
creased in Late Years.
sTR1cKINe FACTS AND FIGURES
Presented by the Commissioner Of
Bureau Of Com m cree and
Labor, Which Will Inter-
est Every One.


Labor, Which viii Inter-
est Every One.
The following article which is furn-
ished the Columbia State by its Wash
ington correspondent is very interest
ing reading:
How greatly the cost OF living has
increased in the last 10 years is strik-
ingly demonstrated In a bulletin just
issued from the department. of COM
merce and labor, by Col. Carroll D..
Wright, commissioner OF the bureau
Of labor. The bulletin shows the cost
Of living in 1908 and for l3 years pre-
ceding.
Wholesale figures are used by Col.
Wright in his comparisons and N his
explanations for using them as a basis
for his results the commissioner says:
Wholesale prices have invariably
been used for the purpose OF showing
changes in the general price level.
They are more sensitive than retail
prices and more quick to reflect changes
in conditions. Retail prices usually
follow the wholesale, but not general
-ly in the same proportion. The mar
gin between them in the case Of some
commodities is so great that slight
changes in the wholesale price do not
affect the retail. Changes in toe
wholesale price which last for a short
time do not usually result in CORES
ponding changes in the retail prices
The method used by Col. Wright
in making his report is the same pur-
sued by leading statisticians the world
over, and in comparing the prices for
1908 with former years he reduces the
price for the preceding l3 years to an
average price for that period.
AVERAGE HIGHER.
The average prices of all commodi-
ties were higher in 1908 than at any
time since and including 1900. Farm
products reached the lowest average in
1896 and the highest in 1902. Cloths
and clothing were lowest in 1897 and
highest in lS90.S Fuel and lighting
were lowest in 1894 and highest in
1903. Metals and implements were
lowest in 1898 and highest in 1900.
Lumber and building materials were
lowest in 1897 and highest in 1908.
Raw commodities and Manufac-
tured commodities have been seperat-
ed for further examination. In the
groups designated as 'raw'' are in
cluded all farm products, beans, coffee,
eggs, milk, rice, nutmegs, pepper, tea,
vegetables, raw silk, wool, coal, crude
petroleum. copper ingots, pig lead, pig
iron, bar silver, spelter, pig tin, brim-
stone. jute and rubber, total Of so
articles.
The average price for all these COM
modities during January and FEBRUARY,
1908, was 80 percent. above the aver
age price for the preceding 10 years..
and the average price for the year was
22.7 per cent. higher than for the
same period.
Manufactured COmmOdlGleS adFanc-
ed to a level only exceeded in the year
1890. They were higher by 21.5 per
cent. than in 1897, by II per cent.
more than in 1899, and about j per
cent, higher than in 1902:
Under the head Of farm products,
consisting Of l6 articles, it is shown
that wheat increased 81 per cent:
steers, good to choice, So per cent;
timothy hay, 1872 per cent; corn 2l.1
per cent; barley, 2l.2 per cent; hides,
24.S per cent; oats, 3l.7 per cent;
hogs, 81 per cent; cotton. AL per
cent; New York hops, 59.5 per cent.
There was decrease Of 1.3 per cent.
in sheep, 2.5 per cent. in rye and SO
per cent. in faxseed.
FIFTY-THREE ARTICLES.
Fifty-three articles OF food are
given, and on 35 Of these there is an
increase over the average for the pre-
ceeding 13 years ranging from 5 per
cent. on bread, In the Washington
market, to 72 per cent, on pepper from
Singapore.
a S per cent. increase is noted on
dried Goldfish and potatoes. 6 per cent.
on butter and 10 per cent. on canned
salmon, New Oriean nolasses increas-
125 per cent; crackers. Boston X,
1875 per cent; milk, 1873 per cent;
mess beef, 13 per cent: western ham,
II per cent; tallow, 17.2 per cent:
eggs, 1872 per cent; mackerel, %. 5 per
cent; cornmeal, % and 25 per cent;
smoked hams, 81 per cent; lard, "a
per cent; beans, 35 per cent; bacon
and salt pork, ~ and 43 per cent;
herring, 81 per cent. There was a de-
crease in sugar Of from 1.2 to 5 per
cent; in soda crackers, 9.5 per cent;
in -four, Ga per CENT; in vinegar, u
per cent; in evaporated fruits, about
2S pc: cent. The price of coffee fell
57.4 per cent.
OF 70 articles Of clothing the prices
|of IS for 1908 were higher than the
average price for the preceding period
since 1890. The increases ranged from
8 per cent. for gingha:ns to 20.S per
cent. for sheetings. Women's dress
goods were 143 per cent. higher; over
ccatings, 17.3 per cent. higher; blan-
cts, 17.8 per cent. higher.
FUEL AND LIGHT.
The table Of fuel and lighting shows
an astonishing increase in the cost to
the consumer. The increase during
1903 over the average price for the
preceding 10 years OF petroleum, re-
fined, $50 degrees fire test, was SO, i
per cent; petroleum for export 32 5
per cent; anthracite coal, 262 per
cent; anthracite stove coal, 27.l per
cent; anthracite chestnut coal, 34. 2
per cent; anthracite egg coal, 34.3
per cent. The only item in the class
showing decline is parlor matches,
which fell off 14.4 per cent. The