Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21

Government Estimates Show Gate
City Second Only to Boston in
Living EXpenses---Shopping Condi-
tions Barrier to EffectiveEConomv.

Atlanta than in any other city Of
the United States Boston alone eX-
cepted?
Careful and widespread investiRa-
ton by the Federal Government, i'm
partially distributed throughout the
Union. places Atlanta right near the
top notch as an expensive city in
which to live, and although e&plana-
lions Of this unsayory indictment
have been many and varied, no one
of them has seemed to explain com
pletely and Couvncingly
And yet there must he some rsa-
son why the cost of living is rela-
lively so high In Albanian Allan
ia, where. Of an places, u should be
at least as reasonable as the average,
If not below the average, taking into
consideration the very many advan-
tages Atlanta unquestionably has as a
place of residence.
Some of Atlanta's marketmen
frankly admit that the Government
figures do Atlanta no injustice what
ever They say the cost of living is
high in this city, and that they can
not help it-or, at least II they can
the way has not yet been shown
them.
other marketmcn vehemcntly deny
that there is anything whatever about
Atlanta's marketing situation that
differeutates IL ConSpiCuOusly or uu-
fav0rably from any other city, and
that the Government figures simply
make a mountain out Of a molehIll,
to Atlauta's Scuseless diSCrCdit
Various reasons are assigned for
the high cost of living i'm the Gate
City OF the South.
High Living Blamed
Atlanta people merely are high
livers and pay the price because II
cults them to do just that. the farm
ficiently 10 make Georgia Independent
Of the outside world, which they
might do easily enough. Georgia
farmers do not raise beef, and for that
reason the city is dependent upon the
West for it's meat supply and this
runs up the cost Of living tremcu-
dously, rents are abnoTmally high in
Atlanta, and the merchants have TO
add 10 their margin OF expense suf-
ficieutly to take care of the rent Of
course. and this the consumer neCes-
sarily pays. cotton crowds all other
lines Of agricultural industry so close
~ that many foodstuffs must be OBJ
tanned from sources beyond the state,
at higher rate of expense than
would be entailed If wheat, oats and
corn were raised at home, butter,
that might he made in Georgia, Is not
made here in particularly appreCia-
BILE quantity, and that keeps the price
of butter up, freight rates are dis
criminatory. and people do not shop
intelligently, anyway.
These are "a few Of the reasons
why Atlanta, according to local mar
ketmen. has been handed the doubt
full award OF being next 10 the most
expensive city in the United States
In which TO I've.
Whatever the cause may be for the
high cost of living in Atlanta, how
ever, one thiuL seems 10 stand out
undisputed the cost OF living is some
high an right
The One Vital Question.
Indeed there is no topic in which
the public the home makers cspe-
Cially, Us $50 vitality and compelliugly
Interested as this problem of living
within the family income.
The people of Atlanta are much
more seriously concerned with the
question OF how 20 live on their daily
are with whether Mayor Woodward
IS a cheap skate" or br Lincoln Nc
Council "a coward :"
They will hcarken much more in
teTestedN 70 a sensible dissertation
on how the cost of living may be
brought down, even "A little bit than
they will to why somebody sent His
Honor "a tube of carbon dioNde in
stead of a uoscgav of tuheroses
What Mr. and Mrs. Atlanta want 10
know, above all things else nowadays.
IS how they may live within their in
come and lay by something for a
rainy day
As the matter stands. they not only
are up against it, to the limit every