El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-07-19
COST Of FOOD
MAIN QUESTION
League of Nations Takes
Second Place As Topic
of People.

Washington, D. C, July ia man
who recently returned from an ex-
tended trip through the middle west
and south reports that the one big
topic of conversation which overshad-
ows all else is the high cost Of living.
&c says the league Of nations is q
minor question in the face Of this
pulling and inexplicable situation
which we are facing in this country
today.
This is not news to the housekeeper,
for as Tar back as 1915 and 1916, wnen
prices first began their skyward
climu, the woman Of moderate income
and little margin was beginning 10
wonder what had happened When
the United States bureau OF labor
statistics made an investigation Of
the cost OF living in the District Of
Columbia during the winter of 1917,
agents found easy access TO the house
wife, who was only too eager TO pour
out her troubles TO the sympathetic
ear Of what she thought was an in
1luential government employe, who
ought 10 be able 10 do something. The
investigation did lead to further in
Quiries on this subject by the depart
menI OF labor in the shipbuilding CEN
tiers OF the country, and as a result
IL was possible for the government
where near the minimum standard OF
living as it then existed.
But with the apparent effort of the
government to fix adequate wages
for the workingmen. and these wages
were in some instances reflected in
private employment. the housewife.
who was depending upon the same
allowance from her husbands salary.
was left in a Quandary. Sirloin steak,
which cost e5 cents a pound in 1913,
cost A cents & pound in 1919; bacon,
which cost 26 cents a pound in 1913,
cost 4S cents pound in 1913. When
she was wondering what in the world
could she 90 to feed her family as she
thought they ought to be fed, Mr.
6oover came along and suggested
that she buy rice and chickens in
stead Of meats So she took q new
start, but in an incredibly short time.
almost before she had learned to cook
Mr.. Hoover's new dishes, she found
that rice. which used to cost Z cents
a pound. had gone up 10 IS cents. and 4
chickens were as high as 40 and so /
cents a pound, whereas they used TO I
be 20 cents a pound in 1913.
At this time statesmen and poll 4
tieians were too busy helping to win \
the war TO take any account Of the /
little housewives troubles; in fact, it 4
seemed as though they had no Da-4ic-
them When in February, 1917. presi- I
dent Wilson wrote the federal trade /
commission asking it to investigate
and report facts relating to the pro-
duction, ownership. manufacture,
storage and distribution of food
stuffs," and stating that cit has been
alleged before committee Of the con-
gress, and elsewhere. that the course
Of trade in important food products
is not free, but is restricted and con-
trolled by artificial and Illegal
and that at is of the highest
public concern to ascertain the truth
or falsity OF these ALLEGATIONS" the
housewife again took courage At last
somebody had awakened to her trou-
bles. Although she had no reason to
feel entirely encouraged by a prom
ised investieation-there had been so
many INVESTIGATIONS and nothing ever
seemed TO happen-yet the personal /
interest in her by the president sure
y would mean more.