The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-05-18

have already been appropriated for
war purposes. The additional amount
necessary depends upon the dura-
ton of the conflict. Whatever the
total sum of debt incurred, it must
be paid, first or last, out of the
pockets of American citizens. How
shall these billions be paid, and by
whom?
Two Principles of War Service
War is here; it is hard expert
ence for all the people. 1t demands
universal sacrifice; but this sacri-
flee should be equitably apportioned.
1t should not fall upon one man in
a way that means actual want and
suffering, and leave another man
practically untouched.
Justice in taxation does not mean
equality in the amount of money
4 paid; it means equality in the effect
of the tax upon the actual condi-
tions of life of the people who pay
it. 1t may be a greater sacrifice
for a man of small means to be
taxed few dollars, so that he has
to forgo all luxuries and many nec-
essaries, than for a man of wealth
to be taxed his whole income, and
even part of his capital as we'll
This is the first principle on which
is based the public appeal for large
war taxes for people with surplus
wealth and small ones for people
with no surplus at all.
The second principle is that con-
scription of men cannot be defended
if unaccompanied by conscription of
incomes. If the government has
the right to ask some men to fight
and give their lives to their country,
it certainly has the right to ask other
men to give their surplus wealth to
the nations cause.
Cost of Living
War conditions and war prices have
already placed the average American
in financial position where he can
not decently be asked to pay for the
war.
The twenty-five most common and
necessary articles of family use
have almost doubted in price IN the
last two years.
Dun's index figures show price
increases, as follows:
Between April 1, 1914, and April
/, 1917, Dairy and Garden Products
increased "a per cent, Meat, 46 per
cent, Clothing 40 per cent, metals
90 per cent, and Foodstuffs 1O5
per cent.
= A few days ago the Old Dutch
Market, Inc, of Washington, D. c.,
which operates large string OF
stores, selling meats, canned goods,
eggs, vegetables, etc., published a
comparison of prices in April 1914,
and April, 1917. 1t deals in all with
sixty table necessaries. The average
increase on all items listed is 85.32
per cent during that period
AS corallary to this we have the
report issued on April 26th of the
Food Committee appointed by the
Commissioners of the District of CO.
lumbia. Interesting figures were
obtanied," says the Committee, "from
the proprietors of some of the small
er stores, whose business is with the
poorer people. They show clearly
that the poor have been compelled
to resort to the strictest economy
in order to provide food on account
of high prices. Their purchases are
of the cheapest possible articles and
in smaller quantities than heretofore.
The sale of ordinary cuts of meat
in this class of stores seems to have
been discontinued and the meat now
purchased consists of hog livers, hog
kidneys, neck bones, hog faces, ETC."
Following the food riots in New
York, Miss Helen M. Todd was ap-
pointed to make an investigation of
the effect on school children of the
high cost of food. She reported
last week that, in the poorer dis
tricts, diet has been so cut down that
the children's scholarship has suf-
fered materially through malnutri-
tion, and that public school teachers
complain that the children are unable
!. to maintain their grades.
'f "The Review" of the United States
Bureau of Labor Statistics for April,
1917, tells the same story. In the
four years from February 15, 1918,
to February Is, 1917, flour increased
in price SO percent, eggs 81 per-
cent, potatoes, % per cent. A 16-
ounce loaf of bread cost on February
Is, 1914, $.055; on February 15
1915, $063; on February Is, 1916,