Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-02-09
THE THEORETICAL PROFESSOR

Harvard professor wipes off his glasses and informs
the people Of the United States that the cost of living
but 25 per cent higher than in 1885 We have no
personal recollection of prices that season. but that
where equality with the foureyed wisacre
from the college Like most Of that class OF theorists
he is talking of something of which he knows more
than he does of the actual appearance OF dnoSar or an
cthyOsaurus He looks at the bones and then builds up
animal as he supposes it would or should look ana
passes it off as the real thing His opinions about as
near correct would those be of "a gnat the back OF
an elephant trying to form an idea to the interior con-
stucton of the animal from the appearance OF the hide
The chances are that professor could not tell the
market price of dozen eggs or sack Of flour without
looking the market reports and ne would have to get
someone else to look up the reports for him. The man
working for salary or wage, and the good Wfe VINO
samples all the groceries in an effort to make the amy
purse stretch little further give such literary recS
Of paeozoc age get into the professors chairs OF the
bic colleges more real information in five minutes about
the cost Of living than they would learn by tnelr lonesome
little selves in lifetime For absolute and inexcusabe
ignorance about every day affairs or anything sefu the
average college professor takes the b the cake ana te
whole bakery. Ii one OF them by some chance haa 70
work and the money that spent Tor What ne eaC
he would know without going back to 1857 or l49z tna
the of living has doubled within the past two on hree
wears and almost within the past year he would not adj
nit it then but sage point out to you that the cost OF
living was no greater but that the purchasing power OF
dollar is smaller and for this reason requires more
OF them to satisfy the demands OF the butcher the baker
and the balance OF those who furnsh tne consumer WIN
course be not increased if only the wage owner would
get corresponding return for his labor" That is hls
solution Of the matter and so far as the last statement
is concerned it is correct for it would not matter to the
average wage Garner how much food sus increased IN
price If his earnings increased in proportion Inc pur
chasing power Of the dollar has decreased hence the cost
of living has increased but unfortunately the wage has
not increased with it. 1t should not take real live col
lege professor if there such to hit somewhere near
the correct idea If he has pencil paper ana average
intlgence to reach results on this Last all Duttef was
selling at 30 cents pound. Is butter any higher now
than then when the present price 80 cens Flour was
SIPS sack then now it is $780, has it increased in
price? Potatoes cent pound then now they are
three cents Onions cent pound then now they
are six cheese has advanced SO per cent pork so per
cent mutton 100 per cent and beef is the highest It has
been since the COW jumped the moon and yet this
bewgqed and befogged researcher Of the antiquarian
fields says the cost Of living has increased but 70 per cent
since 1856 He might write learned dissertation on the
fourth dimension the canals OF Mars or what beyond
the limits Of the finite but anything so near as his
stomach or so evident market report are to him
mysteries as profound as the Sphinx.
Indiana has followed Oregon's example and Wednes-
dav the senate passed the bill making the state dry