The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-09-04
1Y L. A. AANOlEY.

The real reason for the high cost OF
living in this city can be best stated
l believe In the one word 'combina-
tions." There Is no use going into an
argument as to whether this is SO. for
anyone who cares to can find out for
himself by little inquiry. Note the
combination among the coal dealers.
the insurance agencies, the livery sta
BILE keepers, and in almost every other
line Of business.
Another fruitful source OF higher
prices is lot OF fool ordinances that
help to keep the farmer and his teams
out OF the city. and frequently you
hear 1t mentioned that all hitch racks
are to be done away with and compel
our visitors to patronize the livery
stables. for man dare nat let hf1
horses stand on the street without
hitcAing. Rather thsn take d
shitching racks III - tsy 4 ~
the central portion 81 the bie3 ~
erect large shed where the sArmer
could hitch; place we could enclose
with canvas and hold chicken shows.
stock shows, agricultural exhibitions.
ETC.. during our fall festivals and at
other times.
Make Farmer Welcome.
Let US make the farmer welcome.
Let us have our markets at convenr
lent places every day, and charge moth
ing for backing up to the curb stone
during certain hours and allow people
to buy ehere they can buy the cheap
est.
And then we have another lot OF
fool laws about inspection Of this and
that to eliminate germs and microbes.
Why. If there was anything In these
theories by this time our population
would have been on the decrease or
the race wiped out. All these require
ments help to increase the cost OF pro
duction. The theory advanced by one
gentleman that the laboring man want
ed to live too high is the sheerest rot.
We are all laboring men whether we
wear white collars at our work, ride
in an automobile, or walk: and what
the so-called laboring man has to eat
and wear ought to be good enough for
the silk-stockinged variety.
Any combination that restricts com
petition adds to the cost OF living.
and the very men who form these
combinations object strenuously to
the men and women who work for
them the right to do likewise. And
the remarkable part of 1t all is that
these same employees In this city, to
large extent, concede that it is all
right for the employer to enter q com
bine, but that it is wrong for the en-
ploye.
| Wages Don't Keep Pace.
! It would not make any difference
how much the cost OF living increased
il wages kept pace. but they do not.
1t is generally thought that the larger
the city the higher the cost Of living.
but that statement is shattered when
we note the price of produce In the
large cities and compare them with
our own. The only item OF expense In
the large city that exceeds our own h
rents.
Another source of the increased cost
of living is that our retailers, most Of
them. buy their supplies Of jobbers.
when they could eliminate one profit
by buying direct from the source OF
production. This is where the mail
order houses have the advantage OF
them and can afford to undersell
them. Is it fair to expect our people
to pay this extra amount just because
of their short-sightedness. It is fact
that you can take the catalogue Of .
well known Chicago mail order house
and go to certain large retailer here
and buy from him at the same price
that you could from the mail order
house But to do this you have to
force him by the threat that you viii
iorder from Chicago II he does not
meet the price. He buys his stock IN
the same market and at the same law
price as the Chicago house, but IN
stead OF being satisfied with reaaca-
able profit he fixes his prfce inst O
high as possible and hold his frade.
All that restraints more Of our peon1e
4 Continued - Pass eht)