The Denver Jewish news., 1919-12-24
Letters From Our Readers
tThe Jewish News cordially invites an
interchange of thought thru its col
umns)
THE HIGH COST OF LIVING.

THE HIGH COST OF LIVING.
The average citizen busily engaged
ut his trade or profession, having but
little leisure time for reflection, finds
himself peiplexed in the midst of
many new problems and ideas. Such
vexatious problems as the League Of
Nations, the coal strike, tinionism, boil
shevism, Soviet government, the Mcxi-
can crisis, are each of sufficient i'm
port to require long. studious and Sc
rious consideration, but important and
interesting as the problems may be,
none are of such vital consequence, so
far-reaching to the average citizen. us
the cause and possible remedy Of the
present high cost of living.
But before we may even venture to
suggest remedy, it is necessary that
we first find the cause. The high cost
of living, which advanced by leaps and
bounds in the last four years, may be
to a degree traceable to the recent
world war but the underlying cause
of it had already existed for several
years. Only the abnormal econdnic
conditions created by the war accen-
tuated and brought it out in bold re-
lief.
In looking up the records Of the
years 1912-1913, we find that the
newspapers of the country then, were
discussing the problem Of the advanc-
ing cost of necessaries. Our National
government attempted to grapple with
the subject, and after a thoro investi-
cation, it found that combined inter
csts. commonly known as trusts, were
at the bottom Of it. The trusts, by tlieir
efficient organization and improved
facilities and methods of manrlfac-
ture, were enabled to produce COM
inodities at minimum cost Were
they inclined to be satisfied with a
reasonable return for the amount of
capital invested, they could be Of great
benefit to the people by reducing the
cost Of production, but seemingly
such organizations are anything but
public benefactors.
Here are few instances which
dearly show the evils Of mOnOpolies.
Cotton can be profitably raised Mt
twelve or fifteen cents a pound. but
the few interests who control 1t in.
sist on thirty-five and forty cents Il
pound Sheep-skin leather was tanned
ut profit at twelve cents foot eight
years ago, the few who controlled the
market five years ago, raised it to
thirty cents n foot, and today they
get from eighty cents to a dollar h
foot. 1t is claimed that millions Of
pounds of butter are in cold storage
and kept off the market in order to
keep prices up and the same condi-
tions exist in nearly every comodity.
For such a condition there can be
only one remedy: drastic legislative
measures against any interest or
group Of interests who conspire against
the public welfare by gaining control
of life's necessaries whereby they baf
Legitimate competition. Il
There is also another phase which
is responsible in causing the high cost
of living, namely, reduced production.
The present industrial unrest. and
the insistence Of labor for shorter
working hours reacts os boomerang
to the industrial worker, because
shorter hours curtail production, and
being governed by the law of supply
and demand, the price of commodities
is forced up.
Curbing the speculator, legislating
The trusts. and increasing efficiency
and production, will automatically re-
duce the present high cost of living.
G. r. L.