Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1912-10-18
THE TARIFF is CHIEF
ISSUE IN THIS CAMPAIGN
There are Many Real Causes for the High
Cost Of Living Other than the Tariff Some
Points Of Interest ON This Question.


A. Munsey for the October Issue
of Munsey's Magazine we clip 9
few of the many points of interes,
on the tariff question and high &C o,
of living:
The tariff is the chief iseue on
which this presidential fight will
be won or lost. The Democratic
party holds the tariff responsible
for the present high cost of living,
and assails it both on principle and
by force of habit. That the COS,
of living is high is certain; that it
is very much higher than it was q
dozen years ago is equally certain
If the tariff had increased CORES
pondingly in this same period, we
might well assume thst it is, as the
Democratic party asserts, respon-
sibIe for the high cost of living.
But the fact 10 that the tariff is no
higher now than it was q dozen
years ago; 1t is no higher than j,
was under Mckinley and Roose welt,
and yet the price of living has
greatly advanced. This advance in
the cbst of living is not alone con.
fined to America. 1t 10 felt keenl,
throughout Europe rs well.
Increased wages and shorter hours
have cut bigger figure in the high
cost Of living than anything else
This higher, cost of production ID
expressed IN every phase of endea'
vor and every phase of living
expressed alike ON the farm, in the
factory, IN mining, merchandising,
transportation, clerical force, and in
domestic service.
We cannot get something fol
nothing; we cannot double the cost
of q business or residential building
and expect to get rents at the same
price.
Taxes are necessarily higher al
municipal expenses increase, ani
this, too, is expressed in the prict
of rents in either business or resi-
Dental properties. Indeed, thu
effect Of higher wages and shorter
hours of work is felt in thousand
ways, all of which have to do with
the present high cost of living.
Moreover, high living has a goot
deal to do with the high cost Of
living. Our demands are constant
ly expanding as we drift furthel
and further away from the simpl
life. We must have better homes
with more conveniences, and more
lnxuries, must dress better and dres
our children better, and have NOR
amusements, than dozen year
ago.
In our extravaganza, in ou
sweep toward ease and idleness, on
growing antipathy TO work, 10
real danger to the nation. N
other danger is in any sense com
parable 10 IL. This thought ma
very we'll be considered in connes
ton with this election. It woul
require many big volumes to trac
ont ell the interlaclng contributor
causes TO the present high cost I
living due to thriftlessness, to biz
ger wages, and shorter hours {
work. have merely suggested
line of thought for you in th
respect. But l have said enough
IL seems TO me, TO make il perfect
clear that there are very many re
causes for the high cost of liyir
other than the tariff, and want
repeat that there is no logic
honesty IN charging ihis increas'
cost of living chiefly or wholly
the tariff, when the tariff itself
NO higher than IT was dozen yea
ago.
Moreover, the cost OF living
increased J BY our indifference
cost. A very large annual perce
tage could be saved to the home
we vent TO the market for our 80
plies, instead of having the marx
come TO ~. Herein, too, We o.
not get something for nothing;
cannot have goods delivered to
e. the same price At which we cot
get them II ws became our o'