Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-06
Americans Force Up Prices.

Reckless American buyers have pushed
up the prices of curios and bric-a-brac
all over the world Mr. Archer NJ. Hunt
ington of New York alone has demora,-
lied the market for such things in Spain
by paying anything that was asked for
the books, manuscripts and curiosities
he has been collecting for the Spanish
Museum Of Spanish Arts and Industries
he has erected on Riverside drive In
New York Other American collectors
have plunged into the market with their
money In their hands and have paid three
times and often twenty times as much
as articles they sought would have been
sold for If they had shown less ardor.
This IS true all over the world. from
New Orleans to Yokohama. But it is
not very important to the world at large
The poor and all people of small incomes
are. however, very deeply interested, and
many are alarmed at the rapid advance
in the cost of bread meat and vege
tables which has occurred in almost every
civilized nation. and more than any
where in the United States.
The American consuls in Great Britain
report that the retail price of bread has
advanced a penny a loaf and in some
asses a penny and a half, which Is
cents in our money. A recent consular
bulletin from Mr.. Mahin at Nottingham
says that within six months four has
risen 81 95 a sack in England. and other
necessarles of life accordingly. Coal costs
a dollar a ton more than it did a year
ago. which is due to the increased de-
mand from the industries. Sugar. tea.
cutlery. carpets, blankets. canned goods
and other household articles, he says
have advanced in the same way, and
wages are going up at the same rate. so
that the woTkingnan finds some Compen
saton The chief sufferers, he says, are
the railways which have to pay more for
their fuel and higher rates of wages. and
are not allowed TO advance their fares
and freight rates. Many persons with
fixed incomes who depend upon dividends
from investments and stocks and other
securities and salaried persons find that
their pay does not go so far in cover
Ing the cost of living it did previous
to two years ago
Strikes in Germany.
In Germany the increasing cost OF living
has been the cause Of an epidemic of
strikes for higher wages. During the
first quarter OF 1907. Consul Norton of
Chemnitz reports. there were 76l labor
strikes in Germany affecting 5,762 estab-
lishments During the same quarter for
1908 there were strikes in only 1,G25 es-
adjustments. Complete success was at
tanned by the strikers in 100 cases. partial
success in 800. and In 2S1 cases the strikes
failed
The greatest dissatisfaction IN Germany
is due TO the action Of the reichstag in
shutting out foreign foods by imposing
high rates of duty for the benefit OF the
German farmers. The price of meat has
gone up so high that the working people
OF Germany cannot afford to eat it, the
! high price of -four has driven them to
use more milet and every form of food
has advanced so rapidly without a CORE
spending increase in wages that there
! has been actual suffering in many parts
| of the country and there is likely to be a
general Industrial disturbance until re-
| adjustment of wages has taken place
These conditions affect clerks book
keepers, teachers and other persons who
! depend upon small salaries even more
| who do manual labor, because they can
| not enforce their rights by strikes; and
as rule. they suffer from inadequate in
comes more keenly because their require
| ments are greater.
| These conditions are not confined to