The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-10-21
.LuAG EXPENSES ARE
ADVANCING EACH YEAR
Politicians Speak About Unex-
amplsd Prosperity, but
Wordngmen Take Heed.
It Would Be Well to Take an
Inventory Of Economic Con-
ditions as They Are.

AOT WHICH Iney Claim CreQlCs IL WOuAo
be we'll for the average citizen to sert-
ously consider his economic condition
as 1t really is. Windy platform asser-
tons may tickle the ears Of hide-b bound
partisans. but the awakening comes to
the average workingman when he
counts his wages and pays his hard
earned money over the counter for the
necessities of life.
There are at least two ways Of skin
ming the labor cat. The most direct
method Is to reduce wages; a more in
direct manner is to raise prices and
thus lessen the purchasing power Of
the wages received.
According to the statistics recently
made public the living expenses Of the
average family during the period be-
tween 1890 and 1904 have increased
from Is to so per cent.
There has been no corresponding in
crease in wages. While the laborer
works just as hard today for the same
wages he earned IA years ago, the
prices for all the actual necessities of
life have Increased so greatly that he
must now pay out nearly IS per cent
of his entire income to protect himself
and family from exposure and starva-
ton.
No reason can be found for this state
of things except the excuse of those
who control the markets for the neces-
stiles Of life that they need the money.
Beans and salt beef have gone up 10
per cent; salt pork and bacon, 1856 per
cent; lard 10 per cent; butter, "a per
cent; cornmeal 80 per cent; crackers,
1879 per cent; molasses, 6 per cent;
eggs, 1915 per cent; behring's, $50 per
cent; salt, Is per cent; pepper, 65.3 per
cent, and currants, 80 per cent.
These are only a few of the articles
which show an increase. Although the
Bureau Of Labor claims that articles
classed under the general head Of
food" have increased in price only ~
per cent, the argument is false one.
The figures themselves are made to tell
a false story.
While 1t is shown that flour has in
creased 36 per cent and eggs 1916 per
cent in price, nutmegs have decreased
55.7 per cent and prunes 44.6 per cent.
| Nevertheless, they are all Jumped in
together under the head Of food" and
an average increase of Z per cent is
We could get along very nicely with
! out nutmegs or vinegar, but eggs and
| flour are pretty hard to do without,
even at skyrocket prices.
The bulletin of the United States
Bureau of Labor makes the following
estimate Of the increase in price Of a
few groups of commodities, taking the
prices Of 1890 as basis. Of compari-
son: Farm products, 20 per cent;
food, Ill; cloths and clothing, 9.8;
fuel and lighting, 1915; metals and i'm
plements, SO; lumber and building
materials, PA; drugs, 10; household
goods, ILL.,.
Almost everything that is an actual
necessity to human life has risen in
price so that the trusts and corpora
tions which control them, even though
they maintain wages, are yet enabled
to reach further into the pocket Of the
consumer by an arbitrary increase.
Since 1894 canned goods have advance
ed over Is per cent on the dozen cans.
The Standard Oil Co. has advanced the
price of oil eight cents gallon in the
same line. Bread is still five cents, al
| though the price of flour has risen SO
per cent This is because the bakers,
to protect themselves, were forced to
make the loaf smaller.
The hens of today produce four
times as many eggs as a similar num-
Der did 10 years ago, but the advance
in price has been phenomenal. The
art of cold storage is the one great bar
rier which prevents commodities from
finding an average price level.
lott Ia
eat chickens and game that was killed
last year and beef that has been on ice
for years. You may find in these cold
storage houses barrels Of frozen tur-
keys which were killed last Thanks
giving Day, and which you may prob
ably eat next November.
The system is beautiful one for
keeping up the prices and making the
American laborer feel that he is earn
ing his money.
Soda crackers have decreased 10.5
per cent in price and about so per
cent in size. Fresh vegetables cannot
| very we'll be kept for next years con-
sumption, consequently they have de-
| creased naturally In price with the ad-
vance in truck farming.
Coal has clambered up the scale
about 81 a ton since 1890, without count
! ing the extra high figures reached in
1903.
AS for clothing, canton fannels have
increased 1873 per cent; common suit
ings, AL per cent: common boots and
shoes, 1872 per cent; women's dress
! goods 1853 per cent; blankets, S13 per
cent, and thread, 20.1 per cent.
The laborer pays more by Is per cent
| for his furniture now than 10 years ago
He pays about 10 per cent more for the
commonest kind Of dishes and table
cutlery, and for the luxury of tobacco
II per cent more.
On top of all this the wage-earner
in some cities at least, is called upor
to pay an advance in rent from 26 tt
30 per cent and when he moves into his
humble quarters the gas man gets In or
his pocketbook, if not through higher
! prices, by forcing the pressure until hi.
4 meter works over time. -. !
i It has been charged by those who arr
| DISPOSED to find excuses for the rais<