Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-29
A LIVE TOPIC.

| High prices contlnueS 10 pe eiiS 81"
| ject of discussion. almost daily. ooth
| privately and publicly. And there
| are as many opinions concerning the
main root of the evil as there arc par
ticipants In the debates. At the con-
claye hold In the city council chamber
on Wednesday evening, the trusts. the
retailers, the wholesalers. the farmers
the railroads, all came in for share OF
violent censure.
One of the factors that must be con-
sldered, when speaking OF the subject
In general. is the increase OF the pro-
duction of gold which Is the standard
of value. This, as we have pointed
out repeatedly. is one OF tho main
causes. But 1t Is not the only one.
The standard of living has been ele-
waited so that we live better than ever,
with less personal labor; but we pay
for the labor all the same, quite dear
ly, and that adds to the cost of liv-
ing. Then there are pure food laws.
and inspection. and the condemnation
of food, and a thousand and one re-
quirements that all mean an addition
to the cost. And further. customers
demand prompt and regular service.
They want everything brought to their
doors the minute they give an order.
A great many people. as We are In
formed. expect their grocery man to
deliver every little thing. The tele-
phone Is handy II nothing more than
a yeast cake Is wanted. 1t has to
be delivered, and that costs something.
But neither OF these considerations
accounts for the fact that living in Salt
Lake is higher than in almost any
city in the United States. There are
separate causes for this anomalous con-
dition. And those who are in busi-
ness can tell something of interest
along those lines.
They know, for instance, that rents
are high, and are being raised every
year, in the main business part of the
City. They know something about the
double taxation that Is imposed upon
them. When a small business man
must pay from S150 to 5000 O month for
little store, and larger establishments
In proportion, in addition to all other
expenses. It is no wonder that the
goods he sells come high. And the
reason for the high rents is mainly
the ever rising taxes.
Salt Lake City is owing about IS. 000.-
900. Borrowed money costs money.
And the expense is. of course. assessed |
against the property OF the people.
Salt Lake City has an extrayagant oity |
government. 1t is not governed for |
the benefit of the people but for q |
party that considers the offices as step |
ping stones to the treasures Of the |
of one official, last year-so We are in
formed by the party organ-cost the |
City 100000. and that was merely q |
drop to the expenditures entailed by |
other blunders. With an enormous in
debtedness and laundering admin
ietrauon-an administration that some
times pays out money without know
Ing, and not having any means Of
knowing, what it gets for 1t, the cost
Of living must necessarily be high. The
people carry the Indebtedness. They
pay for the extravagance, They pay
for the blunders. The business men,
necessarily, add to the cost of the goods
they sell their own expenscs-rent.
taxes. etc, and the consumer pays it.
all. That Is what makos living higher
In an extrayagant, graft-ridden COM
munity than In one whose affairs are
with honesty and capabillty.
The question OF extravaganza In the
Of affairs ls one of over
towering Importance. Speaking about
national affairs, the Secretary of the
Treasury says 1t is possible to reduce
the expenses OF the government, this
year, s100, 900. 900. That would help
somc. II the same policy were applied
to our municipal government; II an ef-
fort were madc to reduce the debt and
practice reasonable economy. there
would be less cause for complaint of
high prices. But of that there is no
hope as long as the City is under tho
control OF party leaders who seem to
- ipooY,a an fhn |