Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-04


hea,essa 81 the CITIES. NJ rtoybltant
tSr6encv IN prices has spread 70 fueI
~ erfanf that the unhfldied desire "
oiaa8srlne e held IN check neithef ~
ab,,naance nor By seasons Of plenty
- ts.4o4v ald not tell that this was found
-, tsrfsts steteen centuries old u niEnt pe
taken for = newspaper dia,rihe aEainst 'h'
coid-stofare plant or the beef trust
THAT the hikh cost of living has pressn,eo
a problem TO mankind almost from the ~, ~
e,irnfne az time is evidenced IN the lsS.
that tta Babvionians IN the twentieth een-
tury Il 6. displayed q tendency 70 resui.,ss s,..',
,,ricea Of commodities when u was iouuu
shat teepera Of inns were comdinlnh " ~
boost the cost Thsse facts are recolosu ~.
on tho many thousands of husiness ,,-,,,
ords written IN ouueform charaotsia .,,.os w.,
tablets of baked clay, which are p'''''
today. ,,ao "a =,
King Hammurabi IN the year aoov =. ~ ~
established = code Of punishment 70 pItN'i,s
extortion and dishonest business deahnA ~ ~,
the part of the shopkeepers. vlsl " ,.s,-
tablets records the fact that any ~, ~.
keeper should charge too mue' rre-
wrong scales in measuring oua N's,,.Ip.at w y.
scrlbed amount. or made an uiogl ,'Ii',,eo 10
profit. he or she should be thrown INTO tne
river a..
The same may he said of the ancient iie-
brewa Records fhow clearly thAt lne.e
people IN the year 1000 y g, had ~ ~,
iatInR the prices Of foodstufF and wearing
annarei laws were framed forhlddlng eN-
tortion In any manner. and 70 charse hny
inierest on loans or purchases was nuhlhh-
ablo bv lrnprIronment This race was on
posed to large profits being charged oy
storekeepers -
found a striking illustration Of government
action against the high cost Of living. Dur
ine the reign Of King Jahorum IN $50 ". =.
an edict was Issued hxing the price OF
flour A seah of fine -four about Two
uecko was 10 be sold for one nhekei Wbout
forty centn Two seahs Of barley were to
ne soId for the same amount, II was de-
creed.
while mention Ia made OF several other
commodities during these early periods, no
mention OF eggs can be found IN Bapy-
lonian literature, II ls supposed ihat chlok-
ems we're introduced In Babylonla py inc
Perslana some time later.
EVEN as FAR back as 24O0 D. c. records
have been found showing that prices Tor
food were regulated by the government.
For instance In this year one Hhekel was
ali that could be charged for two measures
~ -four. barley or rye. One sale OF thirty
kilograms Of wool for ten ahekels
corded At that time house rented Tor
three shekels tabout Sf.eB a year. serv-
ants were hired for one and one-HiNth
shekeis for two monthB laborer could
be- hired for the same amount, provided he
was given three days on. This was deemed
necessary because there being no Sundays.
consequently there was no day OF rest at
that time. II cost man thirty shekels to
divorce his wife, while he could purchase
new one for about six Hhekels N2.5Ol
A CUR OF corn. equal TO about sixty
pounds, was sold at that time for one
shekel or forty cents.
The story OF Joseph indicates that the
Egyptians were in the habit OF cornerlng
foodstuffs in times OF plenty and then dis
posing Of Il during the days Of distress