French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1916-11-09
REDUCING COST OF LIVING
NOW THEME OF WIDE COMMENT.
suggestions Advanced How Men on
Salary May Cope With TangOing
Prices OF Various Commodities.

Prices or various COmMO0lL1GSs
With the advances made during tn
past 80 days in the prices of -four
cornmeal, meats, potatoes, sugar ant
the like, ranging anywhere from 5 t.
Is per CEN during the 30-day~ period
the cost of living has advanced almosi
in proportion to that of cotton, con.
corning which there has been so much
comment. Indeed with the salaried
man, whose wages have not increased
proportfonately, the high cost Of living
is coming to be more of a factor than
ever before. Just what he is going to
do about it is a question that is await
ing settlement.
And the strange feature about the
situation is that the retailer is suffer
ing along with the consumer for the
advances quoted to the retailer by the
manufacturer and jobber have been
more than advanced. In other words
in a number of commodities where the
price has risen, the increase to the
consumer charged by the retailer is
mo- a pro rata increase of the amount
paid by the retailer to the wholesaler.
Therefore the retailer is, for once in
his life. the loser. 81 far as compare
tive prices are concerned.
Generally where an increase is reg
istered, the retailer has increased the
cost as much as he could afford to do,
but this, according to some of them
is not sufficient to allow the same net
gain which he received when prices
were lower.
And for this reason, a number of the
retailers are full of advice, good ad-
vice, too, to the consumer whereby
they may reduce the cost of living.
Their advice is merely a substitution
of certain foods for others; a different
manner, perhaps, in the preparation
of the various products.
This phase of the problem offers
another that should be seriously con-
sidered and that is the leans that may
be requisitioned to Offset. That the
average American wastes as much as
he actually ~utilizes has been often stat
ed for a fact, certainly by foreign
economists. Hence the reverse of the
slogan: The cost of high living rather /
than the high cost of living. A leading
grocer in commenting On this phase of
the problem had the following timely
advice to give: -
Why can't people substitute fruits
and vegetables, on which there has
been little or no change in price, es-
pecially rice. for higher priced meats
and foodstuffs Why not eliminate
some of the fancy dishes and get back
to certain of the staple stuffs which
are known to be more nutritious,
more inexpensive and by far more |,
The suggestion is GER
ta1nly apropos, for if the present rate !
increase keeps up the situation in :
Charlotte and owe the entire country !.
VIII be such that it will amount to a |
-a-aHt: rhlI lAsE E~tl-~s~
Another leading grocer suggests that c
the recent action of the German gov
eminent in providing for a reduction
Of consumption and also of cost might
adopted here, both to the betterment I
the health and the pocketbook.
-"Just three items" he states, "com
be changed in manner of preparation I
by the housewives of Charlotte in such /
way as to furnish more nourishing |
and more appetizing dishes, and this at I
4 decided saving. First, it has been U
found that the pairing Of either a sweet I
Or an Irish potato. no matter :
with how much care it is done, results
n a loss. This is unnecessary. Cook 4
hem with the jackets on. The same d
applies to apples. Especially with t
apples does a great deal of waste oc- [
cur in the pairing. The peeling of an |
has been said to contain a great G
of nourishment in itself" c
And these suggestions come from '
men whose interest it is to increase t
he demand! I
AS another said: 81 believe in prices b
lfording a realization of a gain, but f
he way the people are having to pay c
or things now and the gain of the man '
n practical control of the market is I
unreasonable" He had particular S
'eference to the sudden increase in the
of sugar. The cost of this COM i
modify and the practical famine in S
charlotte today is the direct result Of q
operations Of a few men who have U
established a practical corner, i" it was b
aid. Sugar is hardly to be had at q
IL, and when gotten the retailer must t
a price far larger than he has d
in many years. a
The greater utilization of fruits and t
f such cereals as rice that have only d
dvanced slightly will go a long way s.
owards relieving the present situa- t.
ion. Prunes have made only slight fl
dvances and beans likewise. OF
curse these commodities have gone ii
p but not in the ratio with the rest. o
Observer. b
Do You know thai when vour face %