Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-03-17
INCREASED COST OF LIVING IS
WORLD WIDE.

NJ. J. MCKENZIE.
INCREASED COST OF LIVING is
WORLD WIDE.
Theorists who advance a single
reason for the higher cost of foot
; find that it falls short under investi
CATION. The advance in food prices
is world wide. 1t effects every coun
try in Europe, and is as distinctly
apparent in England, free trade ma
ton, as elsewhere. In fact, public
feeling on the increased cost of liv
ing was aroused in England several
years ago, and was taken up active.
ly by the party in power -Four
years have passed since Mr.. Lloyd.
George, president of the British
Board of Trade, and also a member
of the Campbell-Bannerman minis.
try, was given the lead in syste-
matte investigation of the cost of
living in England and leading coun-
tries on the continent. The inquiry
was conducted by consuls, municipal
officials and special agents. Recently
the results have been appearing in
print, fully confirming the practical
ly universal increase in tie cost Of
food.
1t is shown by these reports that
the advance in the cost of living in
England during the last five years, is
equal to that in the United States.
Two thousand average families in
various parts of Great Britain were
questioned, with the assistance Of
trade unions and cooperative socie-
ties, and the conclusion reached is
that the workman has a much small
or margin after paying expenses than
he had in 1904. In the same period
his wages have advanced by or 2
per cent. Between 1905 and 1908,
wheat advanced II cents a bushel,
and potatoes more than IS ton.
Beef and pork were higher in 1908
than in 1906, and have continued to
advance. & England imports four
'afths of the tbeef IT. consumes, and
can closely calculate the increased
cost. British cattle raisers claim
that they ought to be protected by
a tariff, and say there would be ad-
vantage to the people in the cost of
meat If its production at home were
encouraged. This contradiction Of
tariff arguments In different coun-
tries is striking. But the fact re-
mains that in all the cost food has
gone up and is viewed as new hard
ship blythe people.
In Germany tile Investigation ex-
tended to thirty-three cities and
towns, with an aggregate population
Of 100000. Included in the in
quiry were rents, prices and wages in
different branches of trade, covering
shipbuilding, paper making, brewing,
coal mining, metal and textile manu-.
featuring, engineering, dock labor
and others. The marked upward
trend in the cost of living Is recog-
nfzed, while the advance in wages is
slight. Comparisons between coun- |
tries must be conducted carefully, be- |
cause habits in food vary according |
to nationality. But the figures indi-
cate that an English workingman
living in Germany, as he would at
home, would have to increase his |
in the ratio of 100 to
11S. German wages average one
fifth below the English standard,
while rent, food and fuel cost fifth |
more than in Germany. There is a |
general protest in Germany over the
cost of living, and here again, there
are two tariff parties, each blaming
the other for the advance in food.
France seems 20 DC worse off than
England or Germany in wages and
hours of labor. In the building, en-
cheering and printing trades, which
were Investigated in France, the
weekly working hours are III, as
with 100 in England, and
French wages are in the ratio of only
Ga to 100 in England. Yet the
French artisan, more than any other
is helped to earn a living by his wife
and children. The cost of household
expenses is soaring in France. A
French family consumes less food
than one in England, but the French
for the table is larger.
Milk and butter are the only articles
Of food that cost less in France than
in ENGLAND Other food avera pes ~