Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-03-26
THE COST OF LIVING

Frank Green, managing editor of Brad streets Journal, contributes to the Outlook a striking article on the advance in prices based on figures compiled by Bradstreet's.
 Bradstreet's figures are based on the whole sale prices of one pound each of ninety-siX ar ticles all necessaries of life.
 On January 1, this year, the wholesale price of one pound each of these ninety-siX com modities amounted to 1923.
 On July 1, 1896, the same amount of the same commodities could have been bought for $5.70; difference of $3.53, or gain of 62 per cent in fourteen years.
 Bradstreet's does not figure the cost of labor, but everybody knows that labor has not ad- vanced 62 per cent in fourteen years. That is why living is so much more difficult problem now than it was fourteen years ago. The coun- trly has prospered amazingly in that time; but its prosperity must be figured in the mass to be
 impressive. When it is figured in its relation to the masses it is impressive, but in another way; for then you have that pareeling of a steadily increasing cost of living with a wage scale relatively at standstill which accounts for the present unrest. That sort of thing has made history in the past and it appears to be about to make more history; political history, at least.
 January 1, 1901, the cost of the ninety six commodities was $7.57, gain of $1.97 out of the total gain since 1896 or $3.53 June 1, 1908, the figure was S7.72, gain of only 15 cents from 1901. March 1, 1907 at the height of the "boom," the figure was $913 That figure was reached again last December, and the first of this year it was exceeded by 10 cents It is not decreasing but increasing The next report doubtless will show new high record of prices
 Since 1896 wheat has increased 100 per cent, corn, 106 per cent oats 119 per cent, barley 133 per cent, rye 127 per cent, beans 14S per cent, peas 114 per cent, potatoes 100 per cent, eggs 216 per cent, milk 66 per cent, cotton 113 per cent wool 118 per cent cottonseed 250 per cent, live beeves 72 per cent live sheep 50 per cent, live hogs 152 per cent Flour has increased 66 per cent, beef carcasses 90 per cent, hog car casses 196 per cent, mutton carcasses 109 per cent barrelled pork 196 per cent, bacon POP per cent, hams 45 per cent lard POI per cent, butter 140 per cent, cheese 164 per cent, cottonseed oil 163 per cent, hides 105 per cent, leather 50 per cent linseed oil 97 per cent.
 In manufactured goods print cloths have n- creased GA per cent, ginghams 40 per cent, sheet ings 30 per cent pig iron 50 per cent, steel bill lets B per cent, glass 23 per cent, rosin 165 per cent, turpentine 140 per cent, tar 67 per cent, yellow pine 50 per cent, spruce timber 60 perl cent, hemlock timber 90 per cent. In imported goods, wool has increased 87 per cent hemp sol per cent, jute Il per cent, flax 172 per cent, tin l45 per cent, olive oil 32 per cent, currants S4 per cent. In mine products hard coal has in- creased 17 per cent, soft coal IA per cent, coke B per cent, copper 13 per cent lead 56 per cent, rude petroleum 23 per cent and lime 45 per ,ent. The only division showing decrease in prices since 1896 is chemicals and drugs. Car ooIic acid, bi-carbonate of soda, quinine and oorax are cheaper now than in 1896.