The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-10-08
ABOUT THE HIGH
COST OF LIVING
Rise In Prices Shown to Be Uni
versaI Throughout World

Let us have plain talk about
high cost OF living" and the high
prices Of food stuffs. This subject is
one OF the great issues of the cam
paign. From every platform opposi-
ton political orators are hurting at
the Republican party the present
enormous cost of things as one of the
most effective lightning bolts. You
can hear II discussed everywhere To
deny its political effect would be alb
surd. Only the other day a man OF
more than ordinary intelligence,
working man, said, II don't think I'll
vote for the republican ticket this
year. | am thinking of voting for
Wilson. | know the democrats want
Free Trade. | know free trade may
mean a panic. ! went through that
panic, when the democrats were in
power. We couldn't buy food. be-
cause we didn't have work but now
We w NOih anu SYM CdH DuN NUdl
we need. II this keeps on, well be
earning 500 a week and starving TO
death" You meet with the same kind
OF talk.
or course. our friends remarks are
not quite logical There is no doubt.
that IL man works. he needn't
starve, no matter how high the prices
are. He can always buy a little
something But, when you have no
work, when you haven't got the money
to buy the food. then indeed you are
in dire distress and facing starvation.
Thus, If our friend votes for the dem
ocratic ticket because the prices are
high, he'll jump from the frying pan
into the fire. Free trade will kill our
industries There won't be any work
In the great factories and industrial
plants, and there won't be any money
TO buy food with But while we're
talking on this subject, let us not
overlook the fact that high prices of
food stuffs" is one thing and high
cost of living" another.
There is a great difference. The
high cost OF living means that a man
has TO spend more money nowadays
to live decently than formerly-say
ten years ago. An income today OF
$1,000 per year only goes as far as
one thousand dollars ten years ago
This is caused, partly, because prices
generally are higher and partly be-
cause our wants and needs have in
creased. We live better. eat better
and have better homes than in years
gone by. What formerly was a lux
ury is necessity now. We must
have pianos, bicycles, automobiles
We are more amusement mad: we
read more.
Ten or fifteen years ago there
weren't many farmers who felt the
need of a telephone in his home.
Now the telephone is in nearly every
farmers home. All this costs money.
adds TO your expenses is a drain upon
your earnings and increases your cost
of living.
But what explanation there is for
the rise of food prices, whatever II is,
II can be readily seen is a different
matter altogether.
There are many explanations, but
only one view of the matter interests
us in this discussion, namely: is the
republican party responsible? Did
President Taft cause this condition?
Did congress order It? Are the re-
publican congressman and senators 10
blame? When was the Infamous bill
framed and passed? Ask these ques
lions of those who would use the
present high prices as campaign ar
gument against the republican party.
He will not be able to give an answer.
On the other hand it can be proven
beyond a shadow of doubt. beyond
the possibility of a successful contra
diction that the republican party, Is