Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-10-19
COST OF LIVING IS
SERIOUS PROBLEM
Everything Going Up But
Wages Which Is Worrying
Part Of Story

There ism t any way of getting around
the fact that the good housekeeper who
has been SO fortunate as to have a
weekly allowance for the table from her
lord and master, is up against it,
For the actual facts are that every.
thing in the eating line has advanced
during the past year from 10 to so per
cent and there is no means of telling
when the cost of food and groceries
will get down to an established basis
and not climb little higher every week
or SO.
For instance, yesterday, the bakeries
in Salem announced an advance of from
five to 10 cents for each cake and il
seems necessary to make the advance
as everything that goes to make up a
cake had advanced materially within
the last month. Eggs cost double and
shortening and flour cost at least one
fourth more than few months ago.
With the higher prices of wheat, flour
has naturally kept pace and Wednesday
of this week 10 cents-a sack was add
ed to the already high price. And the
same day the wholesale grocers an
nounced an advance to the retail men
of one cent pound for crackers. This
of course affects all cakes, buns and
rolls and the price win naturally have
to increase or the size decrease.
! One year ago eggs were wholesale 81
cents and now they are 3S and 40. Po-
tatoes were SO cents a sack and now
the figure is $3.50. Sugar was six and
a half cents and now it is $S.35 with
prospects of touching the high notch of
$S'65 of last July. Bacon of course is
almost a luxury as there has been a one
third advance within the past year and
the figure now for pork dressed whole
sale, is - and l3 cents, with value
of nine cents on foot.
The canned goods story is even more
alarming. Several wholesale houses
handling canned tomatoes are making
only half their deliveries and Others
none at all. And the same story is
true of canned corn. Tomatoes were
short in Utah and Colorado this year.
Oregon canned fruits including cherries,
apples and pears are being held for
higher prices although there was a
large crop and pack in the state.
Stringed beans are costing 10 per
cent more than year ago and even
baking powder, wholesale, has 10 per
cent tackled on. Cream of tartar costs
wholesale 12 cents pound more than
it did and dried currants are almost off
the market, as the Greeks and Italians
did not ship to America this year, hav-
ing need for them at home. Raisins
also are on a higher shelf, financially
speaking, and those who like the taste
of Norwegian sardines will have to pay
about twice as much as a year ago.
Even matches, as part of the kitchen
equipment, have marched along in the
advancing column keeping pace with
canned milk which has added one-third
to its price of one year ago.
And of course everything that is made
of wheat and oats has joined in the
march for higher prices. Those who
prefer a fair sprinkling of sage with
their sausage may well appreciate the
sage flavor as it has advanced in price
just 100 per eent-that is, the sage,
not the flavor, has advanced.
But why continue the sad story. Wool
is worth twice as much as it was two
years ago and cotton is quoted on the
New OrleansNexchange higher than any
time since the Civil war. But this is
another chapter as is also the fact that
one year ago it cost the small sum of
10 cents to get into the movies and now
it is half again as much.
There is one satisfaction. Soap costs
about the same.