Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-02-17
} THE cOsT oF LIVING.

LIE OO01 vi Ia avn
Invention, discovery, science, an
business organization have addel
greatly to the delight Of living. Ed
. ucation and intelligence have multi
Piled the desires of the people. Ever,
, desire partly satisfied gives birth t
half a dozen new ones. The STANDARD
Of living is perpetually rising. TIL
, Injuries of yesterday become thu
necessarles Of tomorrow. The Amer
lean life OF today Is far differen
from the life OF twenty-five years ago
The more we have, the more. we want
The higher the standard Of life, thu
more 1t takes to satisfy the norma
4 demands of the individual.
4 The cost of living is not the result
of high prices alone, but is also
because we have more things TO en-
! Joy and must pay for them. We are
going faster and must pay the cost
of extra speed.
Twenty-Five years ago the farmer
brought his apples to market and
sold them. at the door of thu" con-
sumner or sold them to the grocer
who delivered them to the consumer.
There was little cost attached to
this and apples we're not expensive.
Today an agent Of a cold storage
plant goes to the orchard and buys
the crop. The apples are barreled
Increased expense). shipped TO Kan
sas city (freight), placed in cold
storage Expense Of what the market
will bear), shipped back to the town
whence they come (freight), bought
by local dealers (margin Of profit),
and delivered to the consumer. The
consumer pays the bill for this form
of business organization. Is 1t any
wonder that apples are dear? And 1t
may be remarked that 1t makes little
difference whether there are 5,000,-
900 or 100000 barrels of apples In
Kansas, or whether they come from
Colorado, Michigan or New York;
they cost about the same,
\ But the consumer is paying for
something besides apples. He is pay
ing for the privilege of having fresh
apples nearly every day in the year.
This is a convenience and he pays
the men who make it possible. This
is true of all other fruits and of
vegetables in slightly different way.
1t Is true of eggs. They travel long
way, go, through many hands and
frequently are somewhat travel worn,
No doubt the storage people take
the highest price the market will
bear when they dole out the commod-
tiles to the retailer. At least It is
suggestive of their power when II is
known that there are II, 200, 1000
more eggs in storage In January,
1910, than in January, 1909, yet the
price of eggs in 1910 is nearly double
the price Of 1909. Waste and incon-
venience to the individual are turEe |
over to shippers. commission men.
ETC., and the consumer pays & good
price for convenience.
Take as another Instance, the
question Of breakfast foods. Corn
meal is one OF the most wholesome
and nourishing breakfast foods as
well as one Of the cheapest. Many
people spufn 1t and buy roasted corn
flakes or some other patent breakfast
food at from three to ten times the
cost of cornmeal, because they are
put up in appetizing form in paste
board box supposed to be insect proof. !
Several dealers. several railways, and
a large overeapitalized concern must
be paid for the convenience.
AS one more example of differ
ent kind, take automobiles. 1t is
estimated that 100, 900 cars will be
constructed in 1910, involving an
outlay Of over SITS. 100000 and
working army of many thousand meh.
To certain extent these cars will
be used in commercial way to salts
fly business needs. However, they
probably win not give a strictly
economic return on over ten per cent !
of the investment. All the rest is
devoted to the increased delight of
living, They may add to health II
their users keep on the upper side Of
the machines. This is great econo-
mic expenditure to satisfy a new de-
sire, but It gives little economic re-
turn.
Again the telephone becomes q nee
essity. We save time and energy by
Its use. This is an economic saving.
1t simply brings business and In
creases economic production. Yet It
must be paid for By the user and
means an increased expense. II he