The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-14

WASHINGTON, March 13.-Thas
every country OF Europe has sunered
from the increase In the cost OF Nv
Ing. and that all over the world there
are multiplied evidences of the uni
versal restiessness under these condt-
TONS" ID shown In a report submitteo
by President Taft In q special meg
sage to Congress today.
The report, IL the result Of an inves-
tieation made by direction of Presi-
dent Taft by the State Department,
through its consular officers In Europe.
II forms a second step In the Presi-
dents effort 10 have this country ini-
tiate an international commission TO
lock into the cause for the high cost
Of living and the possible remedies,
which he first suggested to Congress In
q message on February .. Compare
sons In staple food prices in all OF the
important cities Of Europe for the past
twelve years are given. and an ex-
haustive study Is made Of thu EFFORTS
OF the cooperative societies OF Great
Britain to help the waee-earner In his
fight against the increasing burden OF
thu high c st OF living.
The consul general at London shows
that in the United Kingdom. between
the years 1896 and 1910, while food
prices rose 1873 per cent. wages In
creased only ILL per cent, and that
the wages of railway employees In that
time increased only i.3 per cent. To
emphasize what this increase means
to the British consumer the consul
general gives specific quotations show.
ing that bacon and ham, which In
1895 could be bought In the English
market for n fraction under . cents a
pounds, now costs above 10 cents per
ysruy1a. that butfer has trrrea aNd
from 22.7 cents per pound to 26.s;
cheese. from 10.5 cents to 10 cents:
lard, from sS cents to 1875 cents;
sugar, 3 cents to IS cents. Flour 10
the only food commodity showing n
decrease Ia price: that has fallen from
21a cents in 1893 To 1.4e cents today.
In the Last Ave years in Southamp-
| ton. England. staple commodities. sucsa
az meats, dairy products, fruits, coffee.
fuel tin goods, clothing. bedding, fur
niture, and underwear. have shown
an increase of 20 per cent. At Hull.
England. II 10 shown that the increase
In the cost OF living has advanced far
| faster than tho increase In the rata
OF wages. The coKsul at Manchester
drew an Interesting comparison be-
tween the stanle expenditures Of TIN
ordinary English family In 1888 and
those rcqu'e ed IN 1910. The COZ. of
! living for such family, 1t was shown.
| has increased some 1873 per cent a
! table compiled by the English Board
of Trade shows that In fifteen years
! potatoes are the only commodity in
| which there has been decrease IN
| price.
France Ii Aroused.
All northern France, reports the
consul general at Paris. IL aroused
over the increased burden OF the cost
OF living. The consul at HAvre,
France. shows what tremendous In
creases have occurred there. Beef.
he says. which In November. 1900.
sod TO- 80 cents. sold In November.
! 1ei1, for 30 cents: lamb durisG that
cents; veal from 81 cents to As cents,
pork. from IS cents to 10 cents;
chickens, from Is cents to IS cents;
potatoes, from l cent to 21-2 cents
eGgs. from 40 cents to IS cents: but.
ter, from 80 cents TO II cents: milk
from Ia cents to 8 cents: rice, from
IL cents to 10 cents: nouF Jumped a
/ cent . pound: bread. from 3 cents to
4 cents: tea, from IS cents to 81: and
soft coat Increased from $40 per ton
TO $l2 per ton, Sugar alone showed
a decrease OF cents q pound. The
consul tates that his quotations or
meats are for the second Frencr
quality. and that the prime meats cos'
from one-half to two-thirds more thar
his quotations. In all the range OF
food commodities In the market a.
Lyon. France. fish 10 the only on,
which has not Increased since 1890
The cost Of living has % increased
In Germany that living conditions have
been seriously affected. The averags
retail prices PREVAILING in 81 OF the
principal cities Of Germany In Sep.
TENDER. 1911, were; Beef. per pound
1874 cents: veal. 30.1 cents: mutton
1879 cents: fresh pork, Is cents; ham
in slices. s7.i cents: whole ham. 27.s
cents, and bacon. 1875 cents Ever
horse meat sold at - cents pei
pound. Dairy products and vegetabiei
showed q considerable increase II
1871. ~ compared with 1910 and
previous years. The prices In Hol.
land on foodstuffs have been soarins
steadily since 1895. On such article,
as beef. pork, eggs. butter. ham. wheat
and beet sugar. the prfces nare showr
increases ranging from 10 to IS pei
cent. Among the greater increases tr
Holland In that time have been: Pork
II per cent; egxS. IS per cent; but.
ter, Is per cent: ham IS per cent.
wheat. 10 per cent. ana beet sugar
rs per cent. These Increases are from
j1sa6 to 1910. Market quotations fol
1911 show . still greater increase.
This increase In echoed In the re.
ports from consuls all over Europe
s.e nCo-8pes,e&a06 in England ssS2e,.;
Much Of the report submitted by thu
President deals with the cooperative
,societies Of England. The co-cperA'
tive idea seems to have appeared firS
lin England and has reached its high
~ Aotv q