The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-28
The Cost Of Living.

One of these. days the people who are
looking forward to tariff revision in tho
belief that revision will result in a mate
rial reduction in the cost Of living will
wake to a clear realization Of a now
generally overlooked fact. That is that
there can be no ~appreciable reduction
in the cost Of living except through u
reduction in the price Of food and cloth
ing. 1t is shown by official statistics
that these items alone represent about
So pei e of the expenditures Of the
average family with an income OF 81 100
or less. As the rate of income increases
this percentage drops, but the average
for families with an income Of 5000 or
less il evidently above 80 per cent.
Rent takes about Is per cent. and fuel
and lighting about 81 per cent. The
remainder is represented by -sundries.'
carfare, medical attendance, literature,
church and charity. insurance, amuse-
ments, &c.
Three distinct ends, or any one of the
three, may be served by tariff revision.
These are provision for national rev.
enue, increase in economic activity, and
reduction in cost OF living. Measuring
by these standards the process 10Y
going on in Washington it is evident
that there will be no material change
in revenues, no appreciate stimulus
TO economic activity, and no appreciable
reduction in cost of living. In the first
and second of these there is no more
than a vague public interest. There
il OF course realization that there must
be revenue sufficient for the needs Of
the national Government, and there is a
somewhat hazy apprehension Of the fact
that individual welfare depends upon
general economic activity. In cost of
living all are directly and personally
Interested. Undoubtedly that interest
underlies much the larger part Of the
demand for tariff revision. The man
With an income of 1920 a year, out Of
which he pays $3.50 to feed and $50 to
'clothe his family, cares little or nothing
about the tariff on carbon points, zinc,
%typesetting machines or automobiles.
Free lumber and free hydraulic cement,
cheaper nails and cheaper lead pipe,
might make a trihing difference in the
5000 he pays for house rent; but the
prominent items in the family expense
book are food and clothing. Beside the
price which the man Of modest income
must pay for meat and vegetables, fruit
and cereals, the schedules on chemicals
and oils. on metals and manufactures
thereof. or lumber, hemp and wood pulp,
are of limited Importance.
Some day these millions OF people OF
modest income, the people whose need
of food and clothing has paid the mort
cages on hundreds OF thousands OF
farms, has filled the banks with money
belonging to farmers and made III
agriculturists during recent years the
most prosperous class in the country,
will get on the trail Of the farmers.
They will insist upon II discount on the
billions OF dollars paid TO the producers
OF wool and cotton, Of meat and dairy
products, Of cereals. fruits and vege.
tables. Such q reduction is conceivable
without any ~lessening of the farmers
profts. II can be effected by measures
which would force the adoption OF
business methods on the farms and q
consequent material decrease in the
cost of production.
The consumers are to-day, as they
have been for many years, compelled
10 pay for the indifferent, shiftless and
often stupid methods prevalent on the
American farm. Proper business moth
dds would effect a very important re.