The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-10-25

in England and Germany In 1914
before the war prosperity" began
there was more unemployment than
this country had seen for years.
As 20 the high cost ot living sta.
tistics Of Secretary Redhpld. who
surely ought to know, show an adj.
vance OF thirty-hve per cent over last
year. does the war prosperity more
than balance this 1lyanre-
II happens that there IL one set
Of Official figures accessible TO Wash.
iugtonians on the increase Of prices
between 1918 and 1915 In 1913
the Democrats came into power and
" is interesting to SOC what mas hap.
pened to the purchasing value OF a
dollar since then
The figures are for wholesale pric.
es but the retail prices which the
consumer pays 90 UP in an even pro-
portion to the increase for dealers in
large quantities. According to these
Official figures In 1913 flour cost S5.T5
barrel; 1t now costs $1,000. In
1919 when the Wilson prosperity be.
gan a sack of potatoes could be
bought for S2.25: they now cost
$3.50. an increase of 1fty-hve and
one-hslf per cents Sugar cost Eve
and one-half cents in 1918 now 1t
costs seven and One-half, an increase
OF thirty-elght and one-half per cent.
Stewing beef has gone UP from
twelve and one-half to fifteen cents,
or twenty per cent
A recent study OF the household
economies OF twenty men, all heads
of families, which was recently con-
Quoted showed the extent to which
the standard OF living in families has
been lowered in the last few years.
OF the householGers questioned all
except one earned more than $4,000
q year All stated that not only wero
their bills fer food and clothing high
or now than four years ago. but they
were using cheaper articles OF food
and clothing. The mechanic and the
skilled and unskrIled raborers have
heen hardest hit under the regime OF
Democratic prosperity. A reliable
and recognized authority on the eco
Monies of the poor made the state
ment this week that n seventeen dol
~ dollar income in 1915 and a
twenty-five dollar and fifty cent in
come in 1916, provided the same pur-
chasing value.
Food has increased almost as much
during the last year as during the
four years preceding. The price OF
coal and wood has increased far more
than fifty per cent in four years Flour
has gone up almost 100 per cent and
potatoes and other common yegeta-
bles from fifty-fve to 10 per cent.
Clothing has also gone soaring. many
woolens having doubled in price in
the last three years. Not only has
the price OF textiles gone up, but all
other dry-goods lines have followed
suit, and. according to reliable au.
thority, no one can forecast when the
upward movement will end. Hard.
ware has advanced sixty per cent in
three years, and lumber has gone up
thirty to forty per cent. Drugs and
medicines have advanced out of all
proportion to everything else. In this
case, however, the war Is almost en-.
tirely responsible, as imported chem
icals have become so scarce that some
have increased in market value. 1900
per cent. This advance in the cost
of living, when ii begins to he felt
in the home, is far more pertinent
Issue than he kept us out OF war"
or any other OF the Democratic slo.
gans. When man is hit where he
lives" then he is pretty surely to be
counted on TO do something TO rem
edy conditions. This is one OF the
reasons advanced for the large silent
vote on which both parties are count
ing largely. But there is not much
question in the minds OF people who
know as to which way it Will go.
The whole thing resolves itself,
in the mind Of thinking voters into
whether the Democratic party Is re-
sponsible, as 1t says it Is, for the pres-
ent prosperity. If so. ii is also respon-
sible for prices as well as wages and
II the purchasing power Of a salary
now is not as great rs formerly. II
will take more reasoning than the
high sounding phrases about the fu-
ture delivered from Shadow Lawn to
convince the average voter that he is
better OF and more prosperous than
before.