The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-01-07
THE COST UF LIVING
So BILLIONS or DOLLARS SPENT
ANNUALLY lN UNITED STATES.
THE ClTY vs.. THE COUNTRY
Unequal Distribution Of Business
Works Hardship Upon Many,
and Retards Growth Of Agri-
cultural Towns.


Statistics as to the cost Of living
are ever interesting to the economist.
It is estimate that only 20 per cent.
Of the people of the United States re
side in large cities. It is claimed about
S19,000,000.O00 are spent each year by
the S6,000,000 people In the union for
clothing, food and Injuries. II II
per cent. reside in rural towns and
farming sections, it stands to reason
that the percentage of money paid for
necessaries Of life Is II per cent. Of
the vast gum Of nearly s19,OOO,O00 600
annually expended. These figures open
up a wide field for study Of economic
conditions.
For sake Of illustration, let It be
estimated that in the large cities the
cost Of living is so per cent. more
than in the country towns and farming
districts, which would still leave ap-
proximately so per cent. Of all spent
for food and clothes credited to the
people living outside the larger cities.
Then 1t is found that the amount rural
residents spend annually Is S11.S00.-
100000. But do the profits on this
vast amount Of business remain in the
rural districts? Do the merchants in
those $1,000 country towns receive the
patronage Of the people who are resi-
dents Of the districts? A conservative
estiI ate is that one-third Of ali this
vast trade goes to the AIS large cities,
wherein reside only 20 per cent. Of the
population. We're the profits on the
trade that belongs properly to the
country towns kept within them and
within their districts, in the course Of
dozen years their wealth would be
increased nearly 100 per cent But
the drifting of the business to the
large cities not alone makes the
country towns poorer and retards
their advancement, but necessitates
alike drifting Of the population Of the
country toward the thickly populated
cities on account of the lack Of indus
tries to afford employment. Herein
is found the cause of the complaints
Of students In economic conditions Of
the tendency of tho country-bred
youths to drift toward the large
cities, and explains the cause. The
country residents are the ones to be
bla-ned for such conditions. It is a
lack Of appreciation of home enter
prise, and the desire to trade in the
large towns that is the cause.
The sending away Of dollars assists
the great combinations to control
manufacturing, financial affairs, and
all lines Of industry, and even the
trusts are tightening their grips on
the farms. controlling the prices of
commodities that the farmers must
have, and debating the prices at which
he shall sell all his products, as with
the destruction of the business Of the
rural towns, the home market is made
poorer, and in fact even before the
small town merchant can supply the
people living within the town with
products that are produced in the i'm
mediate neighborhood, the trusts must
have their profit" out of the trans
action. Reader do you know remedy
that can be applied that win give a
more equitable distribution Of busi-
ness and Of the earnings of the peo-
pie? Do you not think that the home
trade and the building up of home in
dustries plan might bring about the
desired results?
D. NJ. CARR.