Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-09
LIVING STANDARDS AND
COSTS BIG QUESTION
Daily Letter by Frederic j.. Haskin

WASHINGTON, Sept. Nearly
all of the strikes which have &C.
CURED in recent years have been for
the purpose of obtaining higher
wages or to prevent the reduction of
existing wages. In some strikes
only issues involving hours of labor
and other working conditions have
been involved, but generally speak
ing, the strikes have been wage
strikes.
Since prices of commodities start
ed to go up with the outbreak of the
European war, especial stress has
been laid on the elements of the cost
of living as the principal argument
for wage increases or for retention
| rather than reduction Of established
wage scales.
This has led to special studies OF
the problem of the cost of living and
one fact established that prices have
not risen so much as the number OF
commodities regarded as necessities
has multiplied. In truth, the prices
Of some staples are substantially
lower than they were years ago. Fur
Their, many commodities are within
the range of comparatively low
waged workers which, because or
rarity or high price were formerly
wholly out of their reach. The net
result of the study is that the whole
question of the cost of living is rel
alive.
There is cracely anyone VINO does
not agree that the people should
have the additional things which
thew enjoy under modern conditions
hut there is a desire to emphasize
that exact comparisons cannot DC
made and that to say hat the cos'
of living has increased is not Wholly
fair. The more precise statement
ia that the cost of modern living mas
increased.
The first labor union was organ
lied in the county of Dorsetshire II
England more than a century age
It's founders are known in the lore
OF organized labor as The Six Mel
Of Dorset. They were farm laborer'
and they struck for higher wages
The wages which they received con
sisted almost wholly of their 1000
| and lodging. A few pence wer'
added in one but only nough u
huv a little beer and tobacco. IN
; wage increase for which they struci
was more meat. They We're gettlns
meat only on Sundays, the remalnae
of their diet consisting chiefly o
humble porridge and such vegetarian
food. They desired meat twice o
three times a week.
Dealt With Summary
The action of the Six Men of Dor
set was regarded by the British EN-
2 ployers as preposterous and highl
dangerous to organized society. The,
, were arrested, tried and convicted o
conspiracy for forming their labo
union and were transported on tn
prison ship Success to serve lon
p terms in the penal colony of va
Dieman's Land.
The comparison between The 81
Men of Dorset and a modern labo
union striking for more dollars pc
/ day or shorter hours Is an extern
one but it serves to show how time
" have changed and how the condl
ton of men has improved.
But more immediate comparison
particularly with a view to the add
ed comforts of life, will be MOI
opposite. Take the single item c
ice cream. Formerly it was alto
gether a luxury. Today every Ill
chin in the streets has an ice creal
cone daily and sometimes sewers
= times a day.
Il Every American city spends se'
/ eral thousand dollars a day FOR ie
cream. This is an entirely new ae
ditien to the cost of living and
Il may be pointed out that it is M
fair to call this an increase in On
4 cost of living. 1t merely Ia an add
ton to the cost of living. If a give
city spends $4,000 a day for ie
cream, the citizens of that city haN
S added $4,000 a day to their CO
of living by making this eXpend
= ture. This is an addition, not a
increase, in the cost of living
100000 a week; $~10,920,O00 a ye;
We spend in addition. s1,000,O0O
!, day for ice, a comparatively model
IL convenience.
Another immediate comparison
the motion picture show. Two q
n cades ago movies were scarce.
few were operating but the univers
! admission charge was s cents, Ted
- the American public spends appro'
. imately 1000. 900 900 a year on Il
10 movies. This is $40 apiece for eve
man, woman and child in the n
ton. This is an additien to, not
II F~MH r. NNT - - 49,