Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1913-04-04
PRICES up IN CHINA
Cost of Living In New Republic
Has More Than Doubled.
RENT, FOOD AND LABOR HIGH.
Increase In Honekong Is Greater Pro-
portonatey Than In Either America
or EnsIand-Peope Are Giving Up
Homes For Boarding Houses.


or ngand-People Are Giving Up
Homes For Boarding Houses.
The increased cost Of living is laying
heavy hand on parts of China. United
States Consul General A. Il. Carleton.
stationed at Hongkong, writes the de-
partment of commerce and labor that
a careful analysis of the ordinary
household expenses shows that the cost
of living is 30 per cent greater than ia
Shanghai, while in 1906 it was only IL
per cent higher. demonstrating. Mr..
Carleton thinks, that the conditions in
Hongkong are abnormal.
He believes the trouble there is due
largely to the continued high rate Of
exchange and to the great uncertainty
as to the future of silver
The increase in house rent in Hong.
Kong has become Il serious question,
Mr.. Carleton asserts, with unfortunate.
ly no corresponding offset in the con.
structiOn Of new houses. 1t has become
quite a common thing for people to
give up their homes and enter boarding
houses.
apparently" continues Mr.. Carrie
tons report. the solution to this houS-
ing problem strongly urged by many
people is 70 organize IL building society,
the membership being confined to those
who wish to build or own their own
homes. This appears Il reasonable
plan. as there is plenty of land both on
the island Of Hongkong and in Kow-
loon. and the Europeans might we'll CO.
operate and perhaps could obtain gov
eminent assistance. 10 make the stu
alton worse there is no apparent com
penSation for the prevailing high rate
Of exchange and the increasing high
cost Of living. The big hongS are con
fronted with the demands for increased
salaries of employees. and it seems evil
dent that the problem must be faced
sooner or later. us there is no apparent
likelihood of any beneficial change.
The government civil servants have
asked for an augmentation of 80 per
cent to their salaries. and the governor
has promised to consider the request
and report same to the secretary 'ot
state for the colonies.
Some of the newspapers are urging
the government to import labor Where
as Il short time since coolies were EN-
plOyed at 20 cents gold per day, now
many are demanding and receiving 80
cents gold. The present boycott of the
tram line evidently has had a distinct
bearing on this question of the increase
in the price of labor. Late last fall the
taiiorS asked and obtained an advance
in pay of about 80 per cent and again
demands are being made for a greater
increase. so that the price of clothing
Of all kinds has gone up far beyond
that of few years ago.
1.-The cost Of living in Eongkong has.
it would appear, increased at greater
rate than either in England or the
United States. In the orient the native
population are coming more and more
to enjoy the greater Injuries of the
western civilization, and in conSe-
quence the demand for all essentials
has greatly increased without CORE
spending increase in the supply. This
fact is most noticeable in Hongkong,
and other circumstances. such as the
influx Of many Chinese from Canton
and the greater independence of the
working classes. have created artificial
conditions which are likely to become
permanent.
Prom 1896 to 1912 the rise in the
price of food. clothing and house rent
amounted to - per cent on an aver
age and for some articles even as high
as 100 to 300 per cent as compared
with 1906. and to over 1000 per cent
in some cases as compared with 1896"
Wages for household help. which
have been at standstill for the three
wears prior to 1912, also took a sub
stantial jump last year. adding new
item to the growing cost Of living In
country where formerly living and par
ticularly labor were at the minimum
cost.