The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-13
tBy MARCEL PROVOST,

The arguments or the professional
economists. who Just now are all COM
menting on the high cost of living,
would carry much more weight II
they did not always contradict one
another. Unfortunately. however. we
have no sooner read one theory In
magazine when newspaper brings
forth Just the opposite, equally well
supported and deduced. Is this be-
cause political economy to-day Is much
more politics than economy, and be-
cause each writer In the best faith
tries to support the doctrines Of his
own political party? / am inclined to
think SO. But even outside this I'M
conscious partially there is too much
confusion among the economists; their
sta tistics are too uncertain; their ar
guments and conclusions are too vague
to give us the same faith In them that
we have In the opponents of exact
science. The best, therefore. that we
can do Is to use common sense. and
without using any figures or common
place phrases l shall try to show how
any man or woman of to-day may
accommodate himself to the high cost
of living with the least suffering.
First of all we must feel quite con-
WINGED that living will probably grow
even higher than 1t Is now. Is 1t not
wonderful how certain people or GER
tain parties will continue to believe In
tho efficiency OF an act of legislature
or government to stop the effect of an
interchangeable law that is inscribed on
every page OF history? A continuous
(slow or rapid) increase in the cost of
living Is the lesson that the annals Of
human history teach when we look
back for considerable length or
time.
When this increase Is slow and
gradual people accept 1t without
growing, but when 1t is sudden and
violent, as at present. they cry out
| Would 1t not be far better for them to
! try to change their way OF living. as
| they change their heavy underwear for
lighter when the thermometer goes up?
The Increase In the cost Of living In a
I, civilized and prosperous country is as
| inevitable as a rise Of temperature in
summer
An Increase In the cost of living
follows prosperity; no matter what the
economists say. Observation shows
| that living Is. expensive in the pros
| porous countries. and cheap In the So
/, called poor countries.
| In Italy you can get an excellent
| meal for two francs and fifty CEN
1 times (dDOuI oO SChloIs WhiA0 Ai q
palatial restaurant here you have to
pay ten francs (s2) for embalmed
beef. gelatine and adulterated food
tstuffs.
| In the paladal restaurant, however,
you find all the improvements. all the
lconveniences OF modern life, and this
is why the proprietors OF Such places
make more money than the proprietor
OF a plain hotel at Huelgoat or Uzer-
che. In the prosperous places 1t Is
! possible to get every comfort. every
convenience, without any other trouble
1 than that of paying for IT. and II Is
SO more than right that this ad-
vantage must be paid for. II follows
I then that II you enlist among those
| who help the prosperous to get rid OF
their money. you will be able 10 gam
at their expense.
It may seem superfluous to bring
/ forward truisn, like this, but 1t seems
i that the majority OF people overlook
It. A small employe or government
official In Paris makes annually sum
& that would enable father In Gas
cogne to live like lord. yet the Parl-
| sian is barely able to exist; because
out of his income he has to pay Tor
the beauty. the comfort, the luxury and
intensity of Paris. and becausein Paris
Z he spends money for expensive amuse'
3 ments which do not burden the budget
OF a rural land-o wner. undoubtedly he
has the right to do so, but then ne
should not complain Of the high cos
OF living. Partisan life, where al
necessariest are expensive, Is compen-
stated for by the free sight of city
+, that people come to see from all cor
| ners OF the globe. and by the posi-
! hility of all kinds of pleasures and
j amusements.
/ The worktngman leads this kind o.
! a life because y It pleases him. II u
does not. why doesn't he leave tht
city? It is more difficult to emigratt
from Paris to the country than from
the country to Paris? The return Z
the country does not mean as mucf
risk us migration to Paris, for II
the country strong arms are Away:
wanted and well received, and lack O
employment Is almost unknown.
i A similar answer might be given e
many government officials who com
plain that 1t costs SO much to live II
Paris. They are. however, more un
fortunate than the worker for they d
not get higher wages In Paris than y
the country. But why do nearly al
government employees endeavor to b
transferred to Paris? To get a posi-
tion In Parts. to get closer, to Paris.
1.-THE daily Wish of&thousands OF Frenc
government employees. Many OF thel
say they wish thtA for family raasnnl