The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-11-02
Ell oral CONNIE nt'
on Current Subjects
THE HIGH COST OF LIVING.

THE HIGH COST OF LIVING.
From the Chicago Herald.
The second plank Of the Democratic
platform Of 1919 was devoted to the
high cost OF living. Among other
things, It said: I'VE charge tina. OK.
eessive prices result, In large meas.
ure. from the high tariff laws enacted
and maintained by the Republican par.
" and We assert that no substantial
relief can be secured for the people
without import duties on the neces.
eartes OF life are materially reduced"
well, the duties on everything were
materially reduced and yet the cost OF
living is higher today than ever. Nor
did prices show any decline during the
ten months operation Of the finder.
wood law before the war broke out.
Our fmportatious have greatly In.
creased. but there has been no reduc.
ton In prices, either OF these impor.
tations or Of the goods with which
they compete. What saving there
might have been In reduction of duty
has been added In greater profit to the
importer. The Democratic platform
adopted this year at st. Louis under
these circumstances very naturally
makes no reference to the high cost
OF living, but the Democratic text
book does devote couple of pages to
the subject and does try to get COM
fort out OF tho statement. whether
true or not. that prices in the United
States at present are lower than those
In the countries at war.
As prices In the United States are
at the highest level ever known, ex.
cept In time of war here at home, and
as such prices have been increasing
ever since the Democratic party came
into power, and under the operation OF
the present tariff law, one wonders
Just what is the Democratic explana.
ton. The fact to emphasize is that,
contrary to the promises Of the Demo-
cratic party, they did not reduce the
cost OF living by reducing import du.
ties; for we had nearly a years ex.
perience OF normal world trade before
the war broke out, and as we are i'm
porting more than ever before in our
history, In spite Of the war, one does
not quite understand the Democratic
argument that higher prices here are
uuV w tAO "ois bVShubO Wo okS Duy luE
more than ever before, and II the i'm
portation Of competitive products Is
supposed to reducet he price, then that
Democratic doctrine becomes explod.
ed and laid away with many other
such faHacies.
The fact remains, which Is greater
than any theory, that the cost of liv.
ing is higher under near-free.trade
than 1t was under protection, and one
reason for such condition Is that the
loss Of revenue, because OF our pres.
ent low tariff, has compelled the i'm.
position Of direct taxation to such an
enormous extent that this taxation
must ultimately appear in the prices
Of the necessaries Of life. The Income
tax, the CorpvIa..v.. 800 sluu aIi the
stamp taxes have made it necessary
for those who have been taxed to pass
1t along to the ultimate consumer: and
the effect Of the additional taxes which
have been imposed by the revenue law
passed at the end Of the recent ses.
sion OF Congress is already apparent
in prices, wnlcn are soaring now day
after day. There is not day but
what the newspapers chronicle some
advance In the prices Of the necessar.
les OF life. 1t may be breakfast food
or 1t may be an article of clothing; 1t
may be building material or it may be
fuel; but day after day and week after
week prices are being increased upon
articles Of daily and necessary con-
sumption.
This must be the case when almost
everyone is burdened by the load of
direct taxation, as is the case at the
present time. For let It be thoroughly
understood that all taxation, so far as
possible, is passed along to the ulti.
mate consumer of food and drink, the
wearer Of clothing and the seeker of
shelter. The man who smokes the
cigar. the man who drinks the glass OF
beer, the child who loves candy, the
woman who loves flowers and personal
adornment, every person, whether
buying luxury or a necessity, Is pay.
! ing the tax that was imposed some
where along the line, either upon the
article itself or upon the producer and