The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-09-06
CONTINUED
THE INCREASED COST
OF LIVING
FROM PAGE ONE.

place, but with all that we cannot
get along satisfactorily for less
than almost twice what Is cost us
then.
ut is hard to tell just what has
made the heavy and rapid increase
in the cost of living. 1t has not
been altogether the fault of the la
boring men, for although the labor
ing man has a greater chance for a
home and independence than he
had then, wages are still very small
in comparison to the price of liv-
ing. The trusts have likely had the
greatest part to do with the in
crease, for the retailer is profiting
but little more.
Wages must still be increased
or the price of foodstuffs and cloth
ing must come down or it will be
only matter of time when the Ia
boring man will again begin to suf-
fer House rents are extremely high
at the present time, as well.
zone thing that was in the labor
ing mans favor 10 years ago was
tAC ldSi ludt IuC ElOCClS WOIC hot
organized as they are today, but
while we were benefited, they suf-
fered 1t was then a matter of who
sold their goods the cheapest and
underbid the man across the street,
that pointed out the laboring mans
trading place. Now as rule a
more uniform price for groceries is
charged and it makes little differ
erlce where you go to get household
necessities.
Farmers are getting nearly so
per cent more for their product
now than they did then, however,
and that has had a great deal to
do with the increase in the laboring
mans living expenses. Still the Ia
boring man is better fixed than he
was then. Unions have given us
the eight-hour day with pay that is
better than it was 10 years ago,
with ~ and IA hours of work every
day."
AS seen by Business Agent Gift
ford of the Transfers union, the
farmer is today about the most
comfortably fixed man in the whole
laboring class. Mr.. Clifford points
out that while the farmer is pay
ing practically nothing more for his
help than he did 10 years ago, he ia
selling his produce, all the way
from his poultry and eggs up to his
wheat, garden truck and hay, for
nearly so per cent better prices
than he got then.
Until a year or two ago, with
the rapidity with which the labor
ing people kept fair pace with the
advance in the price of living, but
now the price of living is going
ahead again." Mr.. Clifford said.
A man with his own wagon and
team worked all the way from 10
to IA hours 10 years ago for about
$3.50. Today he receives $3.50 for
eight hours. Common laborers re-
ceived from $125 to $3.50 for work
ing from 10 to IA hours 10 years
ago, but today they are paid S2.75
for eight hours because of their
union.
This has been prosperity and it
means much to Spokane, for here
there are about 1000 union men at
work at the more common labors.
We should reasonably expect that
the price of living would advance
with the price asked by the work
ing man for his labor, but in the
last two years the unions have been
anable to keep wages up to STAN
dard in comparison with the prices
the trusts are putting on their food
stuffs."
Such as these seem to be the gen.
eral opinions of laboring men all
over the city and while everyone Is
feeling the pinch of the high prices
of living, they still figure that they
have profited greatly by the rise
in common laborers' wages in the
last half score years. Yet, the same
union movement that has given
them shorter days at greater pay
will eventually bring their wages
up in fair comparison with the
price of living, they declare.