The Topeka state journal., 1916-10-18
PROSPERITY AND THE AVERAGE
CITIZEN.

CITIZEN.
w Fra14k Persons of New York City
seems to establish his reputation as
an authoritative economist with his
suggestions to the effect that the
average citizen in this country is be-
ing constantly forced to a lower
standard of living by the increasing
prices for the necessities of life. and
because the increases in these prices
are considerably in excess of the in
creases in wages.
His investigations show that a fam
lily of five can not live in good cir
cumstances on less than $22.75
week This may strike many fami-
lies who live on less as a rather lib
eral figure. but it is serviceable for
the comparison Mr.. Persons makes
and which is that under prevailing
prices such a sum is equivalent in
purchasing power TO a weekly in
come four years ago OF SIT.
In other words, the great middle
class in this country, middle as far
as resources go-the average citi-
zens-are being burdened rather
than benefited by the great prosper
ity this country is said to be enjoy
ing
The truth of the matter seems to
be that the prosperity which is now
declared to be so rampant in this
land of the brave and home of the
freebooters in foodstuffs ard the
other necessaries of life is touching.
in the main, only the very rich and
the very poor, those who are highest
and lowest on the rounds of the
financial ladder.
The latter are getting their share
not in any unusual wages, but in the
larger opportunities for steady en-
ployment that are made apparent by
and especially in the larger centers
of population and industries. for la
Dor of all sorts and particularly the
unskilled variety. And the rich, the
capitalists, the employers and the
producers are reaping their addition
al profits and share of this prosper
ity from the fruits of this labor.
But the middle men, the average
citizens in this instance, are struggling
cessity must be more or less station
ary, and the high prices that are the
handmaidens of prosperity are bear
ing down most heavily upon them.
Ask the average citizen on the
street or in his home next door how
he is investing or spending his share
of this great prosperity that is hailed
as being so prevalent in this nation
today and he is apt to consider you
crazy for suggesting that he is get
ting any of it. He is likely, too, to
reply that it is a psychological pros
perity as far as he is concerned and
/ that he is having a harder time than
ever to pay his current bills and that
he is making both ends meet by cut
ting off something here and there.
And the way. this great class OF
American citizenry, and included in
it are the hordes of the smaller mer-
chants of the land, and who are sc
numerous that their votes certainly
decide the presidential and all other
elections-the way the average citi-
zens are ignored by the politicians
and their candidates for the big and
the little offices is a most curious
thing
You hear ON all sides that this
presidential candidate is catering tc
the capitalistic class. or that one
or all of them are doing their best
to earn the good will of the labor
vote and the farmer vote on the side
but you never hear a word about
any presidential candidate being in
terested either one way or the other
in the great middle class of citizens
the consumers, the salaried-folk, the
small business men, the local mer-
chants, and all of whose necks are
raw to the bleeding point on account
of the way they have been getting il
in them from the high prices OF
prosperity that are prevailing these
days.