The Washington times., 1910-07-05
In the Mail Bag
Still "COntented. -

To ths Eoitor Of The We hlugton Times.
Some time ago there appeared In your
paper two articles on the cost of living
After reading them / decided to write
on the subject, and by so doing I seen
TO have incurred the wrath Of at least
two individuals They have both written
me through the columns of yCur paper
asking for Information ana wanting
none
The writer OF the first one Cwhose
name 7 do not now recaID asked such
frivolous questions End showed by the
tone Of his letter that his mind was
so prejudiced and 50 selfish that ne
would not allow himself to see things in
their true light 50 I did not deem Il
necessary to spend the time IN answer
ing him. He even went so Ear as to
assal my political affiliations by stating
that he bet I belonged to the high tariff
party I viii say to my friend that I
an for prosperity, and that not at the
cTpense OF my neighbor-
TiIs other one appeared in the issue Of
June ., signed BY William z Johnson,
in which he simply asks one question
Where buy c1esD food"
Now. 10 answer these two letters
would require more space than is a.
wish had the space to 90 into details
not for the benefit Of my two critics,
for they do not understand or else they
purposeIy misconstrUe my language 10
misIead the public II my friend would
only let the scales Of pre- -5dice and sell
fshness fan from his vision ne would
be able to see things more clearly and
understand them in their true light
Where do I buy cheap food2 I VIII
answer this question by stating that I
never said. wrote. or iutjmated in any
way that 1 could buy cheap food.
I set forth in ny letter means that
people could adopt by which they could
buy goods much-eneaper than many Of
/ them do, and I am prepared TO prove
my assertion 7 also made the state
meut that. while the cost OF living is
high, wages and the amount OF time
made now over ten years ago are cor
respOndInEIy higher. ana am prepared
10 prove this assertion TO any fair
minded person
also stated that grocery men OF Wash
inEton who do a credit business, and
whose customers consisted principally
/ u Government employees, who, as a rule,
send their little book q the store in
stead OF cash. sell goods higher than
q
that if people would be d little more IN
( dependent and carry cash ito the store
OF market instead OF that little we'll
worn book they colId buy more cheapIy-
This statement needs no proof 7 have
positively found a difference or from
I5 20 . per cent. and even more. Where
10 find it, Anywhere IN the city Of
Washington Ny friend advised me 10
ask my wife II / had one. Yes. I have
one, and II you viii come or send your
wife Of you have one) to my house
think she VIII be able TO give you some
valuable information on buying gro
ceries-
Mr. johnson makes the statement that
you could buy as much for s. ten years
ago as you can now for g Well. thar
I IS putting Il pre-ty stro.,g. but 7 viii
not dispute his word. but he lOOses sight
{ Of the fact that all laborinE msu rake
I 3 today where they made 81 ten years
| go, and often more, which leaves him
1T least 81 to the good Now, do not
misunderstood me. as you have hereto
I fore. do not mean % say that men
/ who get 81 per day then set s. now, but
Z 7 do mean to say that the increase in
/ wages and the amount OF time employed
/ now that they were idle time viii figure
[ out at the end Of the year as much or
more than g 20 81. which can easily. be
shown
All the food We consume. except what
/ comes from the waters, IS produced by
the farmer. Now, do you think It fair
1 for the farmer 20 lay out 8 10 raise
+ your bread and meat and sell l. TO you
Z for 50 cents OF less2 Then kindly bear
I IN mind that the 8 and SO a month
farm hands are no more than a thing
4 OF the past
I For fear Of bUrdening the mail bag
1 7 viii close
/ Yours for good prices and coed y ages.
CONTENTED-