The National tribune., 1909-01-07
THE COST OF LIVING.

upon nOlnlnS dI present pSioiS
public mind is there much more star
Ting misinformation than as to the
cost of living. Everybody seems to ac-
cept the general assertion that the cost
of living is very much higher than 1t
ever has been in the history of the
country, and there is no attempt to
qualify this sweeping allegation. 1t has
important notifications, which will oc-
cur upon mention to any one Of middle
age who reflects on what he well re-
members.
When we speak of the cost of living
we should stop and analyze all of the
household expenditures which consume
our income for the year. The relation
of the various items to one another
will depend largely upon the station in
life in which one is and how he lives
Broadly stated, the items of expendi-
lures group themselves under the heads
of food, clothing, rent and strictly per-
sonal expenses. The proportion of one
of these to the other differs largely
Will edCl1 lcHliiy anu itS PoSiiiOh IA SO-
ciety; that is, how 1t lives. While we
assume that the cost of food is the
greatest item, yet this is hardly true Of
any family in the United States. Our
country has progressed so that there is
all the time food in abundance for
everybody, and the famines which dis
tress other countries of lower civili1a-
ton and resources are unknown. No
man or woman in this country need
laca sufficiency of healthful food. SUBJ
stantiaily every family expends much
more for other things than it does for
food. This, however. is a question
which will admit of much discussion in
the localities where such debates are in
order
In Japan, China, Hindustan and 9TH
er countries of swarming population
and retarded development food is the
ali-important thing and the basis Of all
other considerations. Here, however.
agricultural machinery and the ad-
vanced condition Of the science of farm
ing has made food so cheap and easily
obtained that no one need go hungry.
Much Of the talk about the enormous
advance in the cost of food is based
upon the too limited knowledge of the
course of the range of prices of farm
products. For example, much is made
of the high price of bread. The COM
parisons are always made with the ter
rible slump in wheat prices of Is years
ago, when, owing to the overproduction
| in Russia and elsewhere, wheat went
down to less than so cents bushel. and
barrel of flour could be bought in the
ineighborhood of $3.50. The wheat mar
ket has recovered from that depression,
but yet the price is below the average
for the past 100 years. Our fathers
usually calculated on getting 81 BUSH
ell for their wheat. and this Price was
SO general as to furnish a. basis for
Bryan's celebrated heresy that the sill
yer dollar and the bushei Of wheat
went together. Wheat is now selling on
the Chicago market for from 80 cents
to s1.07, or about the average price for
a century. Consequently bread, which
has always been considered the staff o,
life, cannot be said to be any higher
than usual in this country.
Into the price OF meat come other
considerations which require analysis
In .he country meats are no higher
than usual. but in the cities the retail
ers who are keen to make money are
charging much more for handling meal
than their forefathers did, and the price
is therefore much enhanced. So long
as people in the cities will insist upor
a number of fancy frills in their gro.
ceries. and that these shall be deliv-
cred by a smart driver with smar
horse and wagon, they must expect t.
pay pretty >Aberally for it. However
: We can assume that the price of mea
, and breadstuffs have gone up consid
erabIy. to the benefit of the farmers
who will get profits approximate t.
those made by the people in the city.
Duns Commercial Agency, on July
each year. gives q very interesting
Ischedule OF the cost per capita of es
sential articles. These figures are baset
upon the amount consumed and tn,
prices obtained. According to these fig
ures. the cost per capita per annum o
the breadstuffs consumed in the United
States July /, 1866. was $2G.5S0. Thi
litem rose to $45.606 July /, 1864, ant
with fluctuations declined until July /
1897, when it fell to $io.587, or les
than halls that Of 1850. Then It bega,
to slowly rise, until July 1. 1906. it wa
$17.923. There has been an advanc
since then.
i The cost Of meats per capita per an
, mum July /. 1860. was $s.s7s. This ros
until July 1, 1856, when 1t was $17.16s
With fluctuations it declined till |
5 reached its lowest point, July 1. 1896
e when It was 37.058. It began to ris
, then, reaching s11.s2s, in 1902. but de
e clined again, and now is little owe
4 SO.
e Next In Importance In food are sugar
s coffee and tea, all of which have rapid
4 decreased in prices since the war an
g even of late years and without fiuctua
tions. Sugar to-day is far cheaper tha
our mothers ever dreamed of, and cof
: fee has reached the lowest point know
in its history. As to tea, the complain
d is that tco much. cheap tea is beip
: brought in.
s Dun's figures group together all tn
I. items of personal expenditure. and fin
Z that the total cost per capita was great