The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-01-15

Peoples run
EuIEpt3AscoMPETlEG LlNEa SURE;
Editor West virainian:
After SO much talk and so muri.
space taten up In the papers abou,
the tubielt 81 the failure Of the q.
ard g. r. r. Co. to take care Of the
traffic along its route and the dom.
ination of that road by the PennsyI,
vania interests, It is gratifying to al
last see some talk Of giving help ans
en- Encouragement to the building OF a
competing line, say the oldrrH. and
". for Instance. This Is very scns.1ie
and as 1t should be and through ali
the eiamor and noise 4 looked daily
'ard lin vain fer some suggestion like
this til | begun to think SO much.
noise was covering up the real issue
instead Of shedding light on it.
he real. object is to give relief to
the shipping interests and not merely,
to punish theGB. and O. Railroad Cons
paty. In fact the 3. and o. can be
said to be victim as much as a euI.
prit and In bringing any punishment
hetnesto then, Of course many s,no-
cent stockholders will suffer with the
guilty. ~.
The building Of a. strong competing
line of railroad would serve tho dou-
BILE purpose OF sufficiently bringing the
g. and o. to time and giving the de.
sired transportation facilities - this
portion of the State.
ANY remedy that. merely eonten-
plates breaking the death grip Of the
pennsylvania; and compelling better
treatment from the 3. and o. for ship
pers car only be temporary relief and
trcre3is the constant merac Of thing.
getting as bad as at any tfn7.
fact the development of the north
ern part of The State will never be
what it should be and what its natural
resources and The ability Of its e...i-
could make 1t az long as 1t Is
hatnpered by having only one line o:
raitroad. or in other words as long as
there is no competition In its freight
tratfir.
Increased Cost Of Living.
There -, probably mn subject In
which SO many people take an inter.
cst than the Increased cost Of living.
That is . matter that gets right down
close to each and every n Of Us, ard
no n surely will. be, sorry II Senator
Elklns' plan OF an investigation along
these lines Is carried out. Also the
consumer will rise up and call Sec
rotary WiIson blessed If he can give
any relief by the investigation to be
carried on by tie Department Of Agrl,
culture as to prices paid producers,
prices charged by who1esalerE and
manufacturers and finally the cost TO
tho. consumer. EB.
It Is never good taste to use the
personal prcnoun. too frequently but
l. don't know nearly SO much of 9TH
err peoples business as I dc Of my own
anu shall give j few figures car
veuch for comparing a few old records
OF 1867 with conditions now, thir-
teen years later. 51t, ~
!. ut that time was doing exactly tbs
same work ! am doing now and for
rhe same people, (atthough during the
meantime have worked at several
other. oecupations1. Fornthat service
1 received. then $50 per month. For
Identical. SERVICE l now act $3.50, an
increase OF 28 tl-2 per cent llnHasfew
cases iGknnWt OF regular increases OF
SC, per. cent. but believe Is. to, 80, per
cent.fwiNI make affair average for tie
wage. increases Of therpast dozen or
SO years. Now as to living expenses,
ElourSthat regularly sold then at so
cents per sack now costs<r 85gjto 80
eents.s Increase : ~ Ito 40 perFcent..,
greatest single it.m Of expense. ~
October. 1856, l got of a Chicago
house a Barrel Of spring patent flour
In, wood for $500 +. O.. b. Chicago. Tho
sa:ne brand OF the sane house low
eeste 1920 in Chicago. These ars
prices and is an increase Of
106 % per cent. The. increase In cost
of meat which in Importance "a sec
oild only tc bread Is as much or great
iof course m.at and flour. at that
lire were unreasonabIy low in Eriee
and it would be an insult to the farm.
ers TO wish them as low. But wageo
were also r~idiculous,y low then and