La Junta tribune., 1910-08-27
1.-The Growth Of the Cities
and the Increased Cost
Of Living.
BY c. ". GRIG0RY,
A.ehos Of ''hoos Cousss u Live SA,ek
Tarnin1." "Askias neesy - ~
Fara. "hoos CoKss Il 1ed-
srs ASricultuss. Ese.
Copyright. i.lo. BY America Prso
Association.
BY yc.V. GRIGORY.

living Is but the product Of civilixa.
ton. however, aLG Ls sonnet hing 10 lie
encouraged rather than discouraged.
Furthermore. II Is responsible In bu,
Z small degree for the increase In the
cost Of living. The increase ip the
standard Of living has manifested IL.
self most strongly In better houses,
better clothing and more conveniences
Yet the great increase In cost has been
not In these materials, but in food.
Between July I. 1895. and Jan. 1. 1910,
breadstufYs and live stock Increased In
price l0s per cent. During the same
period the Increase In the textiles was
10 per cent, In metals ,Hj per cent and
In building materials only Is per cent
That luxurious living has had much
To do with the increased prices cannot
be- denied, That II is wholly RESPONSE.
Bile Is far from the truth.
II we are TO seek the real cause Of
this crisis that confronts our country
we must 80 back 10 the old cause OF
supply and demand. coupled with other
factors that have grown out of this
The period from 1870 to 1895 was the
period Of development Of the middle
west. the bread basket OF the world
Here were lands Of unparalleled fer
tility that had merely TO he scratched
TO give forth their bouniiful supplies
The result WIS that the markets of the
world were flooded with foodsturs
BY 1895 the middle west was pretty
well settled The bloom OF Its virgin
fertility had been removed Soou the
days OF using corn for fuel and wheat
TO feed the hogs were past. Prices Of
farm products began TO rt~e. II there
had been no other factor entering in
they would soon have reached nor
nal level. and the readJustment would
have come with little trouble. Jufor-
innately the tide OF population toward
the cities had become too strong to be
turned In day.
From isso to 1900 the percentage Of
farmers decreased from <t.3 % 35.6.
a decrease OF 81 per cent. During the
same period the percentage of persons
engaged In manufacturing Increased
from II. to 2t.3. This increass VI %
per cent Is no more than norunl and
may be accounted for by the Increase
In the standard OF living and the con
scuuent demand for manufaciurpd ar
ticles. The increase In Professional
lines during this time Was eig o lenths
Of per cent. while the Dum,-rr Of per
sous engaged iu domestic and J'ersonal
service decreased one.tenih Of I per
cent
The great Increase cane Ia the mum.
bcr Of persons engaged 10 trade and
transportation. an Increase Of IS pei
cent Of the i6-3 per cent Of the wort
Ing people engaged In trade and trans.
portattou In 1900 ouiy nlne-teuths VEN
engnGrd In transportation proper. The
others. iH.% pr cent Of all The people
Of the United States who wort. wers
simply middi-men. Complete dgurel
since 1900 are not avnilabIe. bat tha
cityward trend has increased ratbei
than diminished.
Here n the true eIplauatioa Of The
high cost Of living There arr mors
than ooe-'hird ~ mnny meo ensaged
In distributing food as tbess are Ia
producing Il. The consunse's dollsi
is worn thin before II gets to tbs pro
duccr The iO.UOOU men Who farm
must supply food TO the 100000 pso
pie who are working In the Factories