Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-05-09
COVERING TOO MUCH TERRITORY.

It is sometimes said, more or less facetiously. that
lawyers Of a certain type, in trying a case. claim every
thing and deny everything Apparently it Is on this
principle that some, Of the Spokesman for national labor
bodies proceed. Directly. or in substance, some of these
spokssanen have maintained that there is no real decrease
in the cost Of living. @
a debatabls question may be debated. where de-
etnnos depend largely on the point Of view Of the iadivid-
ual. opinions viii differ. and sometimes VIII be ia
netracal1y opposed. But there are certain facts which are
dernonstrable, and concerning which argument il I'M
called for and Ineffective. One OF thess facts II that the
cost Of living In the United States has Been very naaserial-
sly rednesd from the high lever which prevailed = year
tor more ago.
For demonstration Of this We do nst need economic
sarsunhents or ESSAYS On the rights Of man. It 10 . mat
ter Of prices at the nearest store. A doalar today viIl
buy for the individual user very much more Of the tneces-
sazies OF life than a year ago. II the question is whether
prices have been reduced as much as they should be, and
as much as they may be expected to be that is different.
There is room then for some speculation and some COM
pltcated figuring. But the fact. that there has been a big
drop IL undeniable-
Perhaps the most marked decreases have been in
food commodities. Flour is selling at about hale its high
range. Bread prices have been materially reduced. Milk
prices have been reduced all over the country. Sugar is
sailing in Grand Forks in small lots at less than 8 cents
. pound. AS against IS cents. which was about the price
q year ago. The lowest price Of eggs at retail last sum-
nner was from IS to 40 cents a dozen. Within the past
few days the range has been from IA to Is cents. Meats
of all kinds have been reduced from 50 to 20 per cent.
A popular brand OF syrup which sold 4 year ago at $1.75
a gallon is now selling at 81 cents. Prices Of standard
canned goods have shrunk on the average perhaps 80
per cent. Butter is selling at IS cents, whereas for sew
eral years SO cent butter was considered q bargain. SO
the List might be continued. ~
But it is not in foods alone that there have been I'M
portant reductions. Lumber prices are Is per cent below
those of a year ago. Clothing is down 80 per cent or
more below tho high figures. Not long ago an agttator
told of the poor working man being compelled to pay
500 for I, suit of clothes. The fact is that clothing, in
Grand Forks, at least, never reached that figure. It has
always been possible for a man to pay 800 for a suit, but
1t has never been necessary. At the very apex Of war
prices in Grand Forks tailors were making as good suits
as could be bought anywhere for much lees than 500.
and the best readyn1ades. the product Of the best factor
iesai in the country. sold for about SIS. A suit equal to the
former SIS suit can now be bought for $50, and very serv-
iceahle clothing can be bought for much less money.
There are some lines in which reductions are 4ot yet
sufficient. but to say that there has not been a very ma
terial reduction in the cost of living is to talk rank fool
isiness.