The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1912-09-21
HIGHfRlCOST OF
LIVING ANALYZED
By Finley Acker, President OF Phila-
delphia Chamber OF Commerce

higher cost of living We have also
been told about the lower cost of living
abroad. But If we give a reasonable
Interpretation to the destructive action
against storekeepers by frenzied mobs
in foreign lands, we are justified in be-
lieving that similar conditions and COM
paints now prevail to a greater or less
degree, throughout the entire civilized
world.
In order, however that me make an
intelligent comparison of the cost of
living at this time with it's cost during
an earlier period, it is essential that
we clearly differentiate between the
actual necessities which have always
been computed in the cost of living and
the auxiliary cultivated" necessities
of today, which during former periods
were classed as "luxuries and conse-
quently limited TO the purchases OF the
rich.
The actual necessities those which
human life-are:
First--Food.
Second-Clothing.
Third-Shelter.
will discuss the comparative cost of
food more fully than the other two
factors because it makes the heavie st
drain, in most families, upon the house
hold purse, and also because maAy of
the causes of higher prices in food pro-
ducts are also responsible for higher
prices with the other two factors.
How do the prices of the same kind
and quality of food compare with their
market prices ten, twenty or thirty
years ago? Statistics show that such
necessary staples as -four, sugar. syrup
tea and chocolate and the modern staple
OF confectionery have cost approximately
the same for some years-eXcept as the
prices huctuated with the varying mar
ket prices of wheat and raw sugar. 1t
is interesting to note that the import
ant items of flour and sugar are both
lower in price today than they were 80
or 50 years ago.
Coffee, the great American beverag e,
is lower in price than it was 80 years
ago, although higher at present than it
was several years ago. The varying
prices in coffee will be found. however
to have been caused mainly by the fuc
tuations in supply and demand, al
though the present high prices are par.
4,
which is based upon the principle of
safeguarding and developing the coffee
industry by preventing ruinously low
prices during the periods or overpro-
duction and eXorbitantly high prices
during periods of underproduction.
But such staple articles as meat, fish,
fruits, vegetable, cereals, poultry, eggs
and butter have steadily advanced in
price during recent years.
The above comparisons will give, /
think, hint OF some of the causes of
increased prices. It will be noted that
the conversion of wheat into flour; of
raw sugar into refined sugar: and sugar
and favOrings into confectionery all
represent labor saving machine pro-
cesses, and the production of tea rep
resents Oriental hand labor. the cost
of which is still so trifling as to be
almost unbelievable by Americans And
these are the products which have not
advanced in price.
FARMER GETTING MORE
On the other hand the growing Ger
Gals OF fruits, of vegetables and the
production OF poultry of eggs and of
milk Tor the manufacture of butter. rep
resent mainly American hand labor At
one time this labor was not adequately
computed in the cost of the product be-
cause II was performed ~ the farmer,
and the farmers wife ana the farmer s
children, and augmented by meagerly
PAID taIm laborers who frequently toll
ed from sunrise to sunset
But We have radically different con-
dltlon facing US today. The farmers
VIE ana children fatty refuse TO toll as
did their predecessors without adequate
pay, and We must squarely face the fact
mat the families OF the American far
mer Will never return to their former
industrial conditions so long as other
industrial pursuits insure generous pay
and short. hours of labor.
And II | interpret the American spirit
Alright, there is no desire that the for
ner condition OF servitude and mono
tony in farm life shall ever be re-estab-
llshed in this country, Notwithstanding
lts direct effect upon the cost of living,
Another new condition which confronts
the farmer is that farm labor is not al
ways procurable when most needed and
when engaged demands much higher pay
than formerly, and also demands short
er hours of labor such as have become
established in other industries
Furthermore, The natural operation
OF the law of supply and demand are
found Illustrated in Government statis-
Ties which show that although the popu-
lation in towns and cities increased dur
ing the past decade q per cent. the
increase in rural population was only II
per cent. Although the per capita of
cereals in 1899 was Al husbnIs tbo nor