Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-10-16
Editors Letter Box
What Of the High Cost Of Living

time that is Of more interest and i'm
portance. or that has been more fire.
quently and thoroughly discussed,
than the so-called high cost Of hv-
ing" and nearly every one has ex-
pressed their opinion as to the rea-
son for present conditions. the most
of them-and for some time-claim-
ing it was because of the war, which
was certainly true; but the war end
ed eleven months ago. and while
many believed that the cost of living.
and prices of all commodities would
soon decrease. exactly the opposite
has been the result, for prices have
continued to advance. until they have
become exorbitant and unreasonable;
and the reason generally assigned is,
because of prohteering. and this too Is
true, for nearly every one is prof1teer-
ing whenever opportunity offers. But
there is another reason back OF all
this. that many very carefully over
look, and that Is the matter OF wages,
for the principal item in the cost of
everything that is produced or manu-
featured, and sold, is the cost of the
labor required in its production or
manufacture and as the cost of liv-
ing increased. wages were increased;
and as wages increased, the cost of
living increased still more, because
of the increased cost Of production
resulting from increased wages: this
result was inevitable, Samuel
Gompers, president Of the Fedora
ton of Labor to the contrary not
withstanding; for he was recently
quoted through the press as having
made this statement: 1T is said that
requests for increased wages necessi-
tate increase in prices which in
cfeases cost of living and in return
results in more wage demands.
High wages have invariably
resulted in constructive changes,
beneficial to constructive changes,
beneficial to workers and have re-
suited in increased production"
1t is an indisputable fact. that dur
ing the past few years, wages in all
industries have been more than
doubled, and during the same time
there has been a corresponding in
crease in prices of all commodities,
and corresponding increase in
the cost Of living, and principally
because Of increased cost of pro-
duction resulting from higher wages,
and neither Mr.. Gompers or any
one else can dispute the fact.
There has been general COM
plant on the part of most of the
people because of present condi-
tions, and a few weeks ago the ad-
ministration made bluff" at an in
| vestigation to ascertain the reasons
! for present conditions, and to find
| out who are responsible for them.
But this investigation evidently has
been side tracked" for some reason,
and when it is to be gotten back
| onto the main line again remains to
| be seen.
In no other country in the world,
and never before in the history of
this country. has labor been more
fully employed. and at better wages
and fewer hours. than during the
| past two years, and even now;
never has the working man and his
family been better housed, better
fed, or have they enjoyed SO many
of the comforts Of life, notwith-
standing the fact that prices are
high, for the working man earns hts
wages easily, and he has the money
to buy with; yet there has been an6
still is. feeling of unrest, of dis
satisfaction, with repeated demands
for more pay for less work-for
fewer hours, and when there has been
an increase in wages, or a decrease
. in working hours in any industry.
there has been an increase in the
| price of the products of that indus
| try.
At a recent meeting of the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor at Atlantic
City, the questions Of wages and
working hours was thoroughly dis
cussed, and the Federation went on
record as practically demanding the
adoption of the A hour week, with
no decrease in wages, and that the
A hour week should apply to those in
government employ. Just think of
1t, an organization as strong as the
A. +. of L. was. practically debating
to the United States government,
how long employees should be al
lowed to work to entitle them to a
weeks pay; it certainly seems as if
this was going a little too far.
! Another matter considered at that
meeting was, the purchasing power
of money, and the Federation went
on record as believing that it should
be the same now as when prices
were less than half as high as at the
present time: or to state it in a lit =
tie different way-for this is exactly
what 1t meant-that working men
| who are members of the Federation
I should get just as many pounds of
Hour, sugar, tea or coffee, or anything
else. for dollar now, as when prices
were low. Now if this were a rea-
sonable proposition-and every in
telligent. fair-minded person will
, agree that 1t is not-then the in
dividual or corporation hiring labor
and when they hire labor. they buy
1t, just as much as they do the raw
material used in their operations
should secure just as many hours
labor as they did when wages were
| less than half as high as now.
We have had some serious labor
troubles in this country in the past,
but never have there been SO many
strikes In the same length of time, as
| during the past year: but the writer
| ventures the prediction, that we will
| see more serious labor troubles in
the future than ever before. This is
already proving true in the present
| steel strike. with its rioting and talk
Ing of human lives; the recent race
riots In several cities; the threat
ened. and not unexpected railroad