The daily sentinel., 1907-06-29
SOME STARTLING FACTS
Cost of Living, the Country Over the
Highest IL Has Ever Been
Advanced Everywhere.

more to live in this country today
than ii has cost any year during
its history. IL seems that in spite
of the prevailing prosperity prices are
soaring higher and higher every day
and the almighty dollar buys less to-
day than ever before.
In view of the over-increasing cost
of living there is but little wonder
that worlSingmen all over the country
are asking for increases in wages.
Few people realize Just at what
rate the cost of living commodities of
all kinds is going up, except those
men who come i'm daily contact with
prevailing prices.
a few days ago the purchasing
agent of one of the largest of the
western railroad corporations in an
interview in Salt Lake city made the
following highly interesting state
ments regarding the upward trend
of prices. Read and think ii over:
The price of all hardware has ad-
vanced since January LIST. 1906 to
January ! 1907 from 12 to 10
per cent and since the first of this
year there has been two advances
in prices, which figuring the hardware
stock as a whole will make an ad-
vance of ten per cent for this year.
The retail price has not yet been
changed only in few instances. This
makes the margin much closer for the
retail merchant. Nails are now sell
ing virtually at cost Pocket knives
have advanced 12 1-2 percent. Re
frigerators that cost $3.50 last sea-
son, have advanced S12j in cost and
others in proportion. Gasoline stoves
that sold for s17.5O last season now
sell for s1S.75. All sporting goods
have advanced ten percent Farm Inn
plements taken as a whole have ad-
vanced from 10 to % percent Wag
ons have advanced 33 Is percent
Buggies ten to twenty per cent The
merchants who handle wagons and
buggies have been advised that there
is another advance to follow. Har-
ness has advanced from 20 to 25 per
cent since last October
The average advance on all grocer
les has been about 3 per cent The
retail price has not been changed with
the exception of a few articles. Good
grades of flower have gone from 81.
to S1.1O and S1.35 per sack and feed
has advanced in proportion to flour
Some of the largest advances have
been made in mems boots and shoes,
especially in the heavy grains and
kids. the advance being from so to
- NtuAs OI Allt Dtlls VII lllt DeSI
grades of leather boots there has
been an advance of S1.00 per pair
but taken as a whole boots and shoes
have advanced from twenty-five to
thirty-three per cent The same ad-
vance is on ladies' and children $
shoes.
First grade rubber boots have adj
vanced fifty cents on the pair. In
second and third qualities of rubber
goods there has been an advance of
10 to % per cent. Ladies, mems and
children's rubbers have advanced 2OI
per cent There has been a large ad
vance in window shades, the ad
vance being 33 1-3 per cent. Station
cry has advanced 25 per cent. WALL
paper five to ten per cent. Standard
leads from six and one-half to eight
and one-half cents on the pound
Paints 12 1-2 to . per cent. Turpen-
tine and oils 10 per cent School
crayons that formerly sold for $3.75|
wholesale now sell for $500 whole
sale.
The largest advance since the civil
war in dry goods has taken place
in the last year, being from 33 Is
to 80 per cent. Thread has advanc-
ed 20 per cent since January l. 1907
All cotton goods 25 per cent. hosiery
~ per cent. Ionsdale cotton that
could formerly be bought wholesale
for 7 1-2 cents now costs the mer-
chant II 1-2 cents. Clothing has
advanced from / 8 to 20 per cent dur
ing the past year. Staple shirts of
the fifty cent variety now cost 81 90
to S1.50 more on the dozen. Straw
hats have advanced in value and have
increased fifty cents more on the
dozen.
In silverware there has been an ad-
vance Of ten to fifteen per cent since
the first of the year This is caused
by the advance in price of silver bull
ion. Te labor proposition has caus-
ed an advance in the price of all jewel
ry from 0 to 2 5 per cent. Clocks have
advanced 20 per cent. Diamonds have
advanced ten per cent since the first
of January 1907. In the past seven
years they have doubled in prices. A
one carat perfect stone that sold for
ninety to 500 seven years ago. now
sells for s175.
Cut glass and hand painted china
have advanced 25 per cent since the
first of this year. This rise is caused
by the demand of skilled labor for
higher wages.
MI musical instruments. including
pianos have advanced ten per cent