The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-17
THAT REMINDS ME
Some Random Examinations the Present High Cost Living Everybody Seems to be Trying to Evade
 Burden of Responsibility.
By WALTER HARPER.

It appears that the administration at Washington is trying to saddle the re- sponsibility for the present high cost of living on the corner groceryman.
 This is to divert the attention of the suffering public from the great trusts and combines that are admittedly grow ing stronger and more powerful from the benefits derived from a high tariff for which the party in power is, of course, responsible.
 Now, the corner groceryman has plenty of trouble to contend with without hav- ing this crime of the century shou1dered upon him. I, for one, do not believe he Is responsible for all the existing condi- tions.
 The wholesale people refuse to dis cuss the matter except to declare that there is lack of production. The cor ner groceryman conceals nothing. He is up against a hard proposition and admits it. He is in a panic and would like to have some sort of relief. He is having to carry the big end Of the bur- den.
 He stands next to the consumer and must collect or carry the bills. I believe he would sell at living prices if he could. He knows there is no profit in selling goods that cannot be paid for. Every retail merchant in Birmingham is doing that: Selling goods that he knows will never be paid for.
 One retail groceryman at Woodlawn during the past few weeks has made z careful analysis of his business. He says that the average salary received by his customers is s5 per month. A few years ago these men supported their families on this salary.
 It was perhaps a tight squeeze for some of them but most of them were able to pay their bills Now they are not doing 1t and there is no present prospect that they will. Salaries have not been increased in proportion to the increase in the cost Of living. if at all.
 This merchant declares that a large number of his customers are falling be- hind from s5 to s10 per month. These men are living economically--they are stinting themselves and families and yet they are falling behind. They are doing the best they can, doubtless hoping that things will get better, that wages will be advenced or that prices will be ad- justed.
 The merchants are hoping the same thing and continue to sell. How can they do otherwise? If they cut off the customers that are falling behind they will lose the greater part of their busl- ness. They know their customers are honest and intend to pay if they can. The customer is honest and 1t is his in- tention to pay, but God only knows how.
 He has trimmed and whittled expenses to the last hair edge. There is no more room for the knife unless he allows his family to suffer and he cannot do that
 What Is the remedy?
 The officials at Washington are busy with promises of investigation.
 Economists of all schools are organ izing committees to look into the mat ter Railroad and other corporation off, cials are making speeches and handing out carefully worded interviews to the newspapers full of advice to working peo- pie and especially to the farmers. They seem to want the farmer to grow more stuff, the laboring man to work more hours and practice more economy. haven't heard of any of them dividing their enormous dividends with the man behind the shovel who is really produc- ing the wealth.
 The reports of government officials so far given out are absolutely worthless to the man who Is struggling to feed his