White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1920-07-18
COST OF LIVING ISIN
EXCESS OF WAGES INCOME.

The American Federation OF Labor
puts the present high cost of living
above every other political issue aud
J in the article entitled 'labor's pro-
test against rampant tragedy" !"
Samuel Gompers saws, Regardless of
whatever artificial issues politicians
may seek to inject into the present
political campaign. one OF the great
issues about which the masses of the
American people are thinking most
seriously is the cost of living. The
cost of living has become a para
mount issue because the cost OF liy-
ing is out OF proportion to income.
1t constitutes therefore reduction
OF income for the average American
family. The average American family
will not submit to a reduction Of in
come and consequent lowering Of the
standard OF living without protest.
Politicians have had but little to
say thus far about the cost of living
and but few remedies of any value
have been suggested. The cost of
living issue Is in reality wage
ISSUE"
As stated In the article, President
Wilson made clear the speculative
character Of the excessive cost of liy-
ing when he said, "Disregarding the
surplus stocks In the hands of the
government there was a greater
supply Of foodstuffs In the coun-
try on June first, 1919. than at
the same date the year before. In
the combined total of the number of
the most important foods In dry and
cold storage the excess was quite
10 per cent. And yet prices have
risen"
The article also gives list of
commercial companies that made a
profit of over It's per cent In the last
year. The case of New York brok-
er is also quoted. showing where the
broker bought warehouse receipt
for several thousand yards of silk
and sold the receipt in few days
making profit of $4,000. He had
no knowledge of what the silk looked
like, had never seen II. He had added
nothing to its quality and performed
no service In getting IL from pro-
dueer TO consumer, yet he added
$4,000 to the price.
Quoting from a summary issued by
the United States Department of
Labor il is shown than in IA Ameri-
can Industrial centers there was an
increase OF 96 per cent from Decem~
her 1914, 10 December 1919. The
highest increase was 107.S1 per cent
in Detroit and the lowest 91.57 per
cent in Portland, Maine. The items
entering into the Department of
Labor calculation were food. clothing,
housing. fuel and light. Furniture
and furnishings are classified as mis-
cellaneous expenditures. The IN
crease found in IA cities in the tab
ulation was as follows: Portland,
Me-. 91.o9 per cent; Boston, Mess,
$3.50 per cent; New York City,
103.si per cent: Philadelphia, Pa,
96.49 per cent: Baltimore Nd. 9s.4o
per cent; Norfolk Va, 10e.9s per
cent; Savannah Ca. SS.6S per cent:
Jacksonville. Fla. 102.14 per cent;
Mobile. Ala. 94.54 per cent; Hous.
ton. Texas. 1910 per cent; Chicaso
Ill.,, lea per cont: Detroit. Mich.
1o7.7o per cent: Cleveland. O.. s5.o5
per cent and Buffaio. N. Y. 102.66
per cent.
In addition to this the latest avail
able statistics gathered by the De-
pastment Of Labor shows that tho
average union wage which is always
the highest wage. has advanced SIS
per cent. while the average cost of
living has advanced 90 per cent.
As remedy for these conditions
1t is advanced that there must be IN
end to the enactment of the kind of
legislation typified by the Esch-Cum-
CONTINUED on page eighty