Evening journal., 1906-11-19
WHY LIVING COST
MORE THESE DAYS
Various Reasons Are Given
By Food Dealers For
the Increase
TRUSTS ARE RESPONSIBLE

nous extent within the last few years
is corrOborated by wholesale and retail
buyers and dealers in this city, who
give various reasons for this increase.
Prices for meats, poultry, dairy pro-
ducts and many groceries are soaring
far above the limit reached a year
ago, the burden falling first upon the
general public, and secondly upon
those dealers who dare not. by reason
OF vigorous competition, raise their
prices above the mark OF last years
schedules.
The reasons given for these advances
are wet weather and the consequent
damage to the vegetable and fruit
crops: the increase in the demand and
the decrease in the supply; the pure
food laws, the child labor laws and
the limitations of the hours Of labor
1t is also said that the standard Of
living has been greatly raised In re-
cent years, because OF the unbounded
prosperity Of the country, and as a
result the people buy luxuries and
dainties which some years ago were
not considered necessities, but which
now are regarded as such.
Beef Trust is Blamed.
Within the last fve years meats and
poultry have been sold at wholesale
prices ranging from Is per cent. TO so
per cent higher than ever before.
Chops formerly IL and - cents now
bring II and 20 cents a pound. Poul-
try has gone to IA and Is cents from
. and 10 cents. The Beef Trust has
been the chief factor in raising the
prices Of the latter commodity, their
efforts to corner the market being in
many cases successful.
The high freight rates from Califor-
MIA to the East have been the chief
cause in maintaining the present high
prices on fruits and vegetables. the
rate on a package Of a dozen cans
being so cents. There is alleged to
be a shortage Of dried fruits from the
Pacific coast which has necessitated
many dealers to ship only one-half the
orders for which their contracts call
In the case of asparagus, only 10 per
cent. Of the contract amount has beer
delivered.
Many dealers say that living has in
CREASED 80 per cent. within the last five
: years, and others put it at 20 and q
per cent. Most householders say that
! it has increased more than so per cent
within the last ten years. and Others
place the increase at a stiff large per.
centage.
] All pork products. according to tn,
wholesalers, have gone up about 40 pei
3 cent which is attributed TO the squeez.
ing policy Of the packers. The rigil
p laws respecting the catching Of sal
! mon and oysters have resulted to
large extent in a diminution Of tn
- supply and a consequent rise in price
While the Government inspection o
meats is given as a reason for highe
prices Il is a fact that the increas
( occurred years before the inspection
laws went into effect.
Dealers declare that smoked an,
salted meats are undoubtedly highe
than five years ago. and that rice 4
higher than a year ago. Flour Is no
l much higher than it was twelve month
{ ago, and with the large wheat crop !
, is reasonable to suppose that a lowe
price win be reached.
Dairy Products Scarce.
It is admitted that all dairy product
e have increased in price far beyond tn
e figures reached I'm former years Mill
. eggs butter and cheese are still main
3 tanning their upward tendency. whic
dealers attribute to the scarcity of tn
1 commodities and the largely increasing
= demand. The high price of turkeys
o it is said is due to the difficulty o
1 raising them, especially during tn
4 rainy summers. and the cause for tn
p, increase I'm the price Of eggs is lai
q at the door of the modern farmer, VIII
a La. Il l.
D Mackerel and salt fish are higher o
r account of the shortage in supple.
e and dried fruits have gone up to
d point which is the highest knewn for
S year. Peaches are especially scare,
. due largely to the heavy rains whic
= have destroyed their flavor and cause
e many to rot on the ground. Accordin
;. to the theory of supply and demand
{ the price Of tomatoes should be low
a as the crop is excellent, but the rain
are said to have injured the crop t
d n great extent and to have reduced tn
e output.
d The pure food laws are alleged b
= many dealers to have caused a decreas
t in production by reason Of its strin
@ gent provisions. and the prices, the
s say, are necessarily higher. Chill
labor laws are said to be another fac
tor in increasing prices where tn
manufacturers are compelled to pa
more for their labor than formerly, an
in many cases the hours of labor hav
= been limited.
Lower Than 25 Years Ago.
Some dealers. in comparing tn
IS prices of to-day with those of twenty
Is five years ago, say that -four is no
" about S5.25 a barrel where IL was foi
L merly $3.50. Sugar. some say. has dc
creased about seven cents a poun
T. within the last quarter century.
ne The great argument advanced for tn
Id high prices Of the present day is II
as increase in the standard of living
f. the American people, with the lare
increase in population. under which II
ri demand for food products is create
r than the supply. but the household
A with a modest income receives thes
n reasons with more or less skepticisr
/, and attributes the soaring prices
;, an effort on the part Of the produce
I to gouge the public rather than fro
- lanv natural source.