Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-04
WHY LIVING IS HIGH.
William G. Carter Says House.
wives Are Careless.
ARE ALSO OvER-FASTIDIOUS
Telephone Aids Imposition Upon
Time Of Business Men.
DECREASE IN LIVE STOCK
Golden & Co.'s Representatives. Gives
Views Before Subcommittee of
Chamber Of Commerce.

Claiming that the average housewife Of
| today is both over-fastidious and care
less, William G. Carter of Golden & Co.,
| yesterday added another link to the chain
| of evidence by which the subcommittee Of
| the committee on law and legislation Of
the Chamber of Commerce is seeking to
| establish the causes of the high cost
Of living. Mr.. Carter declared that care
lessness in the administration OF the at
| fairs of the American household, had
reached such point that scores. possibly
| hundreds, of housewives never take the
trouble to consider the supplies which will
| be needed for a full day, and, instead,
| they order a few articles early In the
morning for breakfast, more a little later
for luncheon and still more in he after
| noon for dinner
Contributes to Expense.
From the fact that all of these things
| must be assembled in separate orders,
and then delivered, it Is not difficult to
show that the expense Of doing busi-
ness has increased and that larger prices
must be charged" said Mr.. Carter.
The speaker characterized the telephone
as nuisance because 1t made possible
| this form of imposition on the time Of
the business man.
Concerning the price of beef. Mr.. Carter
told the committee that Washingtonians
were little better fed and at slightly
better prices than they were ten years
ago. when the beef trust was carrying
the bulk of the local trade.
Beef Comes From New York.
At the present time large percentage
Of the beef consumed here comes from
New York, and most of it consists
of parts Of the carcasses of steers
which are killed by kosher methods for
the vast Jewish population of the metrop-
oils. Following the precepts Of their re-
ligion, the Hebrews much prefer the fore
quarters of the beef, said Mr.. Carter, and
this leaves the loin, rib and rear-Quarters
available for other markets.
AS another element entering into the
increases in prices of meat, statistics were
presented to the committee to show that
the live cattle. hogs, sheep and lambs on
the farms are constantly decreasing in
numbers, and that the cost of feeding |
the animals had increased In some cases
as much as 100 per cent within the past
ten years. During this same period the
population of the country has increased
by about Is per cent, so that the demand
for foodstuffs was naturally much greater
proportionately than 1t was at the begin
ming of the new century.
Methods in Handling Eggs.
Mr. Carter described in detail the
methods pursued by his firm In handling
its business in eggs. He cited the fact
that his company maintains two stations
for assembling eggs, at Purcellville and
Winchester, Va, and at these points
yesterday the farmers were paid 261a
cents q dozen for all the eggs they
brought in. The same product was
brought to Washington at a cost of
three-quarters of a cent dozen freight.
and sold to the retailers at - to 3U
cents. Most of the latter, Mr.. Carter
said. were selling the eggs to their GUS
toners at 33 cents dozen.
Committee Is Increased.
The following members were added yes
terday to the law and legislative COM
mittee of the chamber: James G. Jester,
Norman T. Engel, Richard F. Armstrong,
George H. Judd. Wilton J. Lambert Will
liam B. West J. Dawson Williams.
Samuel Ross. Guy Harris White, Robert
II. Young.
Secretary Grant announced the special
committee appointed by A. Leftwtch Sim
clair, chairman of the committee on law
and legislation, to consider Senate bill
No. 4O4, entitled AN act tor the proper
the subject Of report at the next regular
meeting Of the chamber.
The committee Is as follows: Percival
NJ. Brown. chairman: Norman T. Engel.
Louis Goldsmith, Leo P. Harlow, Walter
A. Johnston, George H. Judd, Joseph
Richardson, Conrad H. Syme. William D.
West, George w. White and Robert II.
Young.
Nine Hundred Men Boycott Meat.
FAIRMONT, w. Va, February 4.-The
Brotherhood OF Railway Trainmen Of this
place has started the meat boycott here.
and a petition is being circulated to get
signers to abstain from eating meat for q
period of thirty days. Nearly 800 men
have already signed the petition.