The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-03-20

common FOOD, particularly SO. Inc
onion and the cabbage, German favor.
ties, are inexpensive and, as might be
expected in a land of highly organized
education, a delicious cauliflower,
which Mark Twain called cabbage
with college education, is sold for
three cents. Wood is bought in small
bundles, a few cents worth at a time,
and coal, usually in the form of bri.
quotes, coal dust moulded into brick
shape, is not of high cost, except near
the mines, but is of small heating
value.
All these prices are 20 per cent or
more higher than ten years ago. Cloth.
ing, rather inferior grade, is 10 to
Is per cent. higher and rents, except
in favored localities, are 20 to 30 per
cent. higher Official figures on file
in the Rathaus or Town Hall at Mu.
mich show increases in five years Of
from 10 to 20 per cent. in the prices
Of all foodstuffs.
Savings Deposits increasing.
The standard of living is increasing.
The average man in Germany, France,
ria-Hungary and Great Britain as
in America, is not content to live on
the same level Of expenditure as did
his fathers. Despite this higher stand.
ard and the increased cost, he is each
year saving more money. Ten years
ago the savings deposits in postal and
other banks in Great Britain averaged
$1.25 per capita less than today. Dur
Ing the same period the savings de
posits in German savings banks in
creased from eight to fifteen million
marks, two million to three and three
fourths million dollars, and the mum
Der of depositors from S,670,7O9 to Il;
362,140.
What is true in this regard of Great
Britain and Germany is true of France,
Austria-Hungary, Holland. Belgkm.
In all these countpii4ss3s costesfs.
,snr ,h.~u.-,croA.~....-GL.-es. the sed decz4,.
but at the same time Tiers n..-p m
a measurable increase in the savi1Es
of the people as well as in the sta1d.
ards of living. Over against this must
be considered the 10000 unemployed
in Berlin, the strikes in Belgium, and
Great Britain and the widespread
and ill-concealed distress for lack of
food that every great European city
shows as cold weather comes. Yer
amt so 'ungry wen it's 'ot,'' said
crippled workman in London park.
Plea for New Economic Science.
A British scientist, discovering the
complicated economic problem of the
cost of living, argues that the time has
come for the establishment of a new
constructive science, the aim of which
would be to evolve and teach the prin.
ciples under which economic eQuil.
ibrium in the life of communities might
be attained. Congestion Of population
in the towns, the desertion of the farm,
low wages and the increasingly high
cost of living are, in his view, all re.
lated. The world is capable Of sup
porting all it's inhabitants in abund-
ance. Its failure to do so is due to
the non-emergence of an organizing
science. Every individual is entitled
to secure an economic place in the
world and every normal individual is
capable Of filing such place. Pow.
erty is not really, therefore, neces.
sary. We need not have the poor
always with US. There is something
wrong with a world where cost of
living becomes to any people oppres.
sively high. Resources, even in these
old countries of Europe, as in the
newer United States, are undeveloped
Countries which now import goods and
export food will in time consume their
own food and manufacture their own
goods. Development of the nations
resources, adequate and compreheu
slve transportation, and an equitable
distribution of the profits of labor and
capital, may not bring prices down
but will accomplish what is more tc
be desired, an increase of the aver
age mans income to keep pace with
the increased cost of his food anf
clothing.
i Living in the world today costs
more, but 1t is worth more. The az
erage European is willing, though no,
anxious, to pay the extra price, if he
has the means to do so-extravagance
Is not common trait Of Europeans
but with German thrift and French
frugality, he wishes to get his money,
worth. And, more, he is becomins
concerned as to who or what is re-
sponsible for the high increased price,
and why the benefits, If any, of hiel
prices, as we'll as their burdens, shoult
not fall to his share. That is the mean
ing of the unrest in Europe which
manifests itself today in many ways
political party platforms, parliament
airy discussion, legislation, street talk
home conversation, newspaper discus
} sion, and too often hunger strikes ant
riots 1t is the disturbance which tn,
underdog makes in struggling for :
bigger bone.
Copyright, 1914. by Joseph 3. Bowles.>