The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-03-19
INCREASE IN COST
Of LIVING SHOWN
Be WORLD
By Information Collected BY
the Department Of State
and Yesterday Transmitted
to Congress Through Spe-
CjaI Message of President
(I,y the Associated Press

ftY the Associated FrrSS.
Washington, March i5.-The
President today. in a special mes
sage to Congress, transmitted the
first installmeut of The Information
collected by the Department OF state
IN regard to cooperation md the cost
of living in various European coun-
tries. The Department, by direction
Of the President, instructed the CON
suiar officers to make the inTesti9a-
ton. The results Of the inquiry are
summed up in a letter from Acting
Secretary Of State Huntington Will
sun, which is submitted with the
consular reports and with 1t sum
mary of their contents.
The President in his message ays
tina; the popular demand for Infor-
nation OF this character apparently
was based on the belief that some
remedy might be found for the high
cost Of living. The immediate re-
suit II lhe Inquiries instituted by the
department of State through the
consular officers was to accentuate
the fact tina the increase in the
prices of the common necessities OF
liz. is worldwide, and that it IS an
absorbing question with the coop
e~ratiye associations Intelligence pre-
Sented by the cooperative societies
shows that even where there has bee
been an advance in wages the per-
.antage has not kept pace with the
rise in the cost Of fOod supplies. The
President says hat the Information
collected by the Department OF State
is 4 permanent contribution to the
history of the efforts Of producers
aud consumers 10 solve for them
selves the economic problems of pro-
duction, distribution and consu1np-
ton. II the cooperative associations
which have been in existence for
halt 4 century have not been able TO
determine the Fundamental! causes Of
the Increased cost of living or to re-
tard the advances. the student OF SOC
id progress may at least derive in
Struction from the account Of the
associations and their Influence on
the well being of their members.
The President also calls attention
to his message OF February z, il
which he recommended an interna-
tional commission to look into the
cause for the high prices of ths
necessities OF life and the possible
remedies. Should such a commits
sion be authorized by Congress, h,
says. the relation Of the cooperative
societies TO this subject would be o
great interest.
Acting Secretary Wilson in tn,
letter to the President describing tn
activities Of the Department of Stat
in carrying out the Presidents in
structions says that while the con
suiar officers were engaged IN thei
Investigations their attention wa
Drawn TO the facts given by the co
operative societies concerning tn
advance in the prices OF the mos
necessary articles of food. The re
ports on this phase Of the subjeC
were uniform in showing that tn
members Of the cooperative assOcia
tions were feeling the universal in
crease in the cost of stable commod
tiles. The consul-general at Londo
forwarded q table prepared by tn
cooperative wholesale sOcietie
which exhibited the Increased COS
OF certain articles in the Unite
Kingdom since 1898. From a sun
mary Of rates Of WAGES it was de
veloped that the per cent of increas
in certain trades from 1896 to 191
was Ill and in food prices 10.
The wages of railway employees du,
ing this period had increased oni
7.3 per cent. The consul at Soutt
ammDtOn reported that during til
past tive years there had been a
advance Of 20 per cent. in the pur
chase price of fresh beef, mutto.
bacon. hams. butter, eggs. fruits, te
dried fruits, sugar. coffee. fuel. ii
goods, Women'S apparel. footWea
clothing. cotton goods. bedding.'fu
niture and underwear. 4 series
figures relating to general gro"eri
complied by the Cooperative Who'll
sale Society Of Manchester gave {
instructive example Of what the RI
ia the cost of provisions meln to
ordinary family. Taking the tab
as Il whole it appeared that rs cor
pared with 1898 the increas'
cost Of living in 1910 was 1885 p
can't