The sun., 1916-10-04
THE COST OF FOOD.
VIII Some Statesman Attack n Prob.
lem vital TO All Citizens?

~ mt 1 VT III 'tE ~ -
many years the attention OF the public
has been directed to the railroad indus
try as the chief agency influencing the
life OF the American people. for veal
or for woe.
When President Wilson was president
of Princeton University he undoubtedly
acted as other college presidents act and
obtained his professors and instructors
at as low salaries as possible. doubtless
also protesting that no other way vas
feasible. College salaries are closely
comparable with the pay Of certain rail-
way employees lately in dispute. No
less an authority than the Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement Of
Teaching states:
At the age OF thirty the representative
teacher at one OF the better colleges Will
be an instructor with a salary Of ahou:
si.ioO a year; at thirty-nvc he Will be a
Junior professor with n salary Of about
$4,000. and between the ages Of foriy AMI
fOrty-nvc he will have become i tuli pro-
;esso- with a salary OF $1,000. This scale
OF salaries Is representative OF the better
American colleges. Of perhaps 200 out OF
the existing 300. In ;he great number OF
American colleges Of small the
scale OF salaries Is lower.
The average pay of Il railroad engi-
necr on a passenger train Is given as
sc.06I and OF a conductor $3.50. In
individual cases the pa rises 70 $4,000
a year. but in no case involving steady
employ ment does II fail az low as the
f,i00 which Il college instructor re-
ceives at the age OF thirty.
II seems to me that society would bo
more greatly benefited by some states
manlike action leading to the checking
OF the rising cost ~ food than by action
which involved signing. with childish
gl-e and with four pens. a bill. granted
almost a, pistol point. increasing the
vases OF an already reasonably well
paid class ~ citizens.
In 1914 the American people paid 90
the railway companies the sum ot
$4,000. 100000 for transportation charges
over 225.Iij miles OF railway rack. ..
this. $500, 900. 900 were earnings which
could be applied to dividends or the pay
ment os mortgage Interest. THIS repre-
sentS a charge " s. per capita upon the
citizens OF the United states. and may
BE- cou;rasted with a tax rate OF s312j
per capita imposed upon the citizens oi
New YORK c.;y IN the year 1915 Cor the
government -: the metropolis.
TIL. annual r,s, o, Food :, III. -.au,s
~ tho United s.,,.. - estimated a, The
low yalu. a, s. , month An irh,ntan.
% .hs country. .-.rr..a;.s 81 ooh 600. .
coo. or twice what the railroads receive
~ gross earnings.
Thor. are n, available. statistics -
.h,u .,,c,,v 20 vs,, .x,,,. -. r,lr,,.,
carriers Influence ia. coz, nj, ..,l bu,
An .st!-,,. may ~. a,.,u.,.I r..
trnrsp,-ta,io, 81 r~,., D., iq,t r.rre.
s.n,.1 a. her con. ~ tho gross ,,rn,u.
carried by tho r,ilu,ys o, tho IT., .ai
states. The r.venu. from graf, trans.
por.at.on IN carload lots over mai, i'm.
/ roads ,l5l.scs miles, WAS $50 900 600
Assuming =. sam. -,,. TO- tho short
line railroads. IN, total ,,s. o. or,
Transformation would have hoo, s.o
| ovo. 900. or 4. charge eouallirr : re,
cent. q. III. gross earnings for "a. ,r,,.
por,,,ian OF 4, p.- GER, - -. .o,,
;ouu,s.
t's.ns similar method. W. auI TIA.
|.,j.ooQp0b was paid 20 tho -,l-,,ls o.,
+ the ~rlrSpprta-ion o. I've stock art S'l.
100000 for d-.s,.i u.,, IN ,.,- ga.
100000 was pad FOR ,r,-spo-tt,. wi.
n iasseny.- trains To-.,ha- ,h.s. -.
ur-s show tina, s,s.Ovo.oo0 was maid :,
the ~a!lwav for the -ars,or.,,o, n,
these food materials In on. year
The tonnage o; -four. Other vii ,-oI
ucts. fruit. vegetables and other a.r,.uI
tural products carried by the p, ,-,,t
in carload lots IN 1914 was Z p.- c.r.
o. the gros. tonnage. As.urtr- II, ,
the RAILWAYS obtained z r4- cen, %, 30,
gross earnings from his sou--. tho,
would have received s.0.pou.uoa r..
makes 4 ,otl! charge upon food cost,
due 20 railroad t~rans2orta,.o, ., COS,
, ogo. 1000. W about 4 Der yer, - -,
amount expended annually by th. Amer
ian people to- food. This ,.rina,
does 10, tax. INTO a.,,ur, detu..,or