Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-15
star Bureau,
Metropolitan National Bank Bldg.
WASHINGTON, sent, 10.


WASHINGTON, sept. 10.
Cost of living keeps on soaring
with no indication of changing its
tendency, according to the bulletin OF
the department of labor on retail
food prices, made public today Foi
the average consumption of fifteen
important items of food in the bill
of fare of a worbingman's family tht
prices in representative cities
throughout the country on June 10
1918, was 3.3 per cent. higher than or
the same day last year, and 14.4 pei
cent. higher than on the same date IL
1911
Retail food prices are found to be
So per cent. higher than the aver
age prices for the ten-year period
from 1890 to 1900.
In the last ten years census figures
show the average wages of all factory
workers in the country to have in
creased at an average of little over
per cent. a year.
In other words wages have in
creased about IS per cent, while re-
tail prices of food-cost of living--has
gone up nearly SO per cent.
Ten years ago the average wages VI
the factory workers in the country
erage wage is about $40 a week, but
IS d week ten years ago would have
bought considerably more food than
$40 will buy now.
Potatoes, sugar, wheat flour and
corn meal, the labor department dis
covered, were cheaper on june 10 OF
this year than on the same day OF
last year. Everything else was
higher.
Compared with the average prices
on the same articles for the ten-year
period from 1890 to 1900 the average
prices on the fifteen food staples re-
ported on June Is all showed ad-
vances.
Bacon advanced in price 12S.5 per
cent, pork chops were Ill per cent.
higher in price; round steak advanced
1925 per cent, smoked hams advanced
81 per cent, hens advanced u.s. per
cent, sirloin steak advanced Ia per
cent, rib roast advanced 10 per cent,
lard advanced 66.5 per cent; corn
meal advanced SIS per cent, potatoes
advanced 44.4 per cent, butter adj
vanced Alb per cent. eggs advanced
40.S per cent, milk advanced 3S.4 per
cent, and flour advanced 2S.6 per
cent. Sugar alone is cheaper, the re-
tail price being 6 per cent. less than
ten years ago.
This report is likely TO create some
perturbation among those who have
believed that the tariff alone is re
sponsible for high cost of living, and
that reduced duties will make cost of
living cheaper. Tho fact that sugar
is cheaper. despite the very high duty
and it's control by a trust, does not ri
in with the theory of reducing cost OF
living. which. 1t is understood, led the
President to insist that sugar should
he placed ON the free list.
When the President and Secretary
of State Bryan tried to muZzle Con-
gressman George Kindcl, of Colorado,
they cut out quite job for them
selves Kindel isn't the kind of man
who likes muzzle or has been ac-
customed to wearing one.
Out in Denver, kindel has for about
twelve years been at the head aSld
front of one of the liveliest and Bit
terest railroad rate fights in the coun-
try. He was Il mattress maker to
start, and is now a mattress manu-
facturer He found that he couldn't
do business as he wanted to, because
the railroads and express companies
made such high and discriminating
rates against Denver that he couldn't
compete with manufacturers in other
parts of the country. Instead Of