The Washington times., 1916-07-13
HIGH COST Of FOOD.
AROUSES BRFI0NS.
Board Of Trade Committee Is
Named to Study Cause Of
Increase.

LONDON July 1.-Although food TICK
cts are as yet unknown IN England. the
steady rise In the cost of foodstuffs and
the reduced purchasing power o. the
sovereign spent on food has resulted in
the appointment of a board Of trade
committee to investigate The causes Of
the rise In food prices. This Ia con-
sidered a step In the rish. direction. but
Il does not satisfy the Labor party. A
demand that the government regulate
prices by controlling shipping ard
frcights. commandeering home grown
crops and controlling supplies from over
seas. win form the main plank in the
platform Of the special trade union con-
gress. ,,
Prices vary so much in the different
London boroughs that II Is d1icult to
say what is the exact change n the cost
Of commodities Of general consumption
since the outbreak OF the wnr. and the
only practical method il to take the
of towns all over the country. This Is
the method employed by the workers.
national comms.tee. which has obtained
some Instructive figures resnrding ex;
family ff budgets e eOi1eseted TiH1ssd T Sy board q
trade inquiry in the summer II iyo.
according to the report the average
fool is $40. or 81 per cent OF the iamiiy
Income. .s.
Family Budget Rises.
In July, 1914. a month before war
broke out, the cost of the family budget
rose from $50 to g. When the war
started II rose to Ss.ss. but by August
%. 1914. It had dropped to Sass. and
the family budget remained at this
nsure until the end Of September. when
II went up Il cents and on December
rose to N.o2.
Month by month from that date there
has been a steady rise till today. when
what cost SS.N in 1904 now costs tbs
Thsse nsures show that since July.
on food has fallen 10 S1ss.
Bread. since May. has dropped , cents
itS must be remembered that the in
cre6ses In sugar and tea are nearly
ssG. dSs 5Sy to hs 9..s s,s5s SS.r Susy h.. risen
. per cent. nsh ioa per cent, r., es.: = per
nsh. fruit. and pears have Al zone up
s.SSi.: fsa n Sas. es rssn from II s cent. @ y
x special trade union eongress is to
important Item Of It's agenda will be the
consideration OF food and fuel prices.
The matter has already been considered
eSnsrs.. cy sne pasdth} ana the }olio~ins re.oiution
will be submitted to the delegates by
'""r That this congress expresses It's con-
viction that the government should At
Soodstuffs and fuel. IN order to prevent
the exploitation Of the working classes"
Want Government Control.
II further expresses the conviction
that such regulation can be properly en-
forced only by a Government DEPART
ment which will have power to com.
mandeer food supplies and fuel and dis
tribute them through municipalities or
other elected bodies; and by
a. The effective control Of merchant
shipping to provide the fixing OF freight
| rates sufficient to meet increased costs
without providing enormously Increased
| (2) Steps to be taken to commander
home grown crops. paying a fair price
to farmers. but excluding speculation
and exploitation. Further: steps to be
colonial supplies as may be necessary
for the needs OF the country:
| (3) The amendment of the coal prices
Limitation act fixing standard prices IN
the consumer against excessive prices
| Imposed by coal owners and merchants
attempting to evade the intention OF
| the act.
WIN Crooks, M. p. the one Labor
member who Ii trusted and liked by all
III You take the industrial classes all
through. doubt whether you will find
more than 25 per cent who have OBJ
tained any actual increase In wages
since the war began. Even these find
the increase more than counterbalanced
by the rise In prices. What must be the
case with the other rs per cent?
Pensioners Hard Hit.
And remember what this number in
cludes. You have all the old age PEN
sioners. who are receiving what, after
all, Ia nothing but sort OF grant In aid
to be supplemented by the contributions
Of their friends. Now this Is cut of In
many cases. and they are left with
\ prices practically doubled.
Then you have the dependents OF
began. / had a case only this morning
OF woman with nine children whose
husband Is at the front. She told me
that with present prices her allowance
hardly kept her and her childen from
THE people are very good about 1t, >
added Mr.. Crooks. ''They put 1t dowr
to the war and they grin and bear II
brought about by the war warrants thi.
rise. and I hope the new committee Will
taking advantage of the national crisii
to line their own pockets. I want tS
J see them dragged into the liht OF day