The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-02-11
OF ADO R SUSTAINED
BY COST OIL WING STATISTICS
Cutting Down Buying Power
Creates Conditions Which !.
y 81 I
Multiply Problems.

WASHINGTON, Feb. S.-seventy-
one per cent Is the average Of the
increase in living costs from Deem
Der, 1914, to December, 1921, for II
Of the medium cities OF the nation.
As these cities embrace all sections
Of the country, with their varied
pursuits, It is q safe estimate to
place the Increase Tor the whole
country at least at 70 per cent.
Speaking in terms Of wages, this
means that a worker who received
$50 week in 1914 should now be
paid 70 per cent more, or an increase
Of }21 q week, making tho wages
received ISL. in order to maintain
the living standard he had in 1914.
This does not take into account
the changes which took place in the
upgrade Of living costs during the
war years. In some cases this change
represented an increase over normal
Of 1922 per cent, Norfolk, Va, show
ing such q rise, while in general the
peak prices were approximately 40
per cent in June, 1920. The general
average may be said now to CORES
pond with the prices OF December,
1918. -.
The wages Of labor, as a rule, are
fixed for seasonal or calendar per-
iods, the time varying from six
months to two years. II there is an
upward scaling in living costs In the
time for which the wages have been
fixed, the worker must sacrifice to
that degree his standard Of living.
The only chance he has Of equaliz-
ing wages with living costs is that
which prevails at the time the scale
is made.
Thus it happens that at the period
Of peak prices-June, 1920--few
wage scales were under negotiation,
the rates having been fixed either
in the preceding January or April,
which represented q difference, in
some instances, of S to Is per cent,
which the workers had to meet out
Of their reserve stocks, if there were
any. If there was no reserve. then
the standard of living had to give
way.
The wage earners, including those
on salary, are the only persons in
society whose standard Of living
flucuates downward with rising
prices. Those who live off the in
vestments Of capital-rent, interests,
stock dividends, bonds and mort
gages-are in position to shift the
burden without sacrificing a single
comfort or necessity.
National prosperity requires the
upholding Of living standards Of the
workers because wages represent g.
steady stream Of purchasing power.
Without that steady stream of pur-
chasing power, industry, commerce
and agriculture are adversely at
fected.
Advocates Of low wages and wage
cutting view the question. aside from
their selfishness, from q, narrow
standpoint: so narrow, in fact. that
they cannot see the outskirts Of the
circle of which they are a part,
which in the end is bound to close in
on progress, IT it does not crush
them. :
In short, the breaking down Of
living standards of the workers
AAesaAS Ill tAo AOuS run Lu0 COuSeS.
ton and disorganization Of The bug
mess Of the country. That accom-
plished, the nation is confronted
with tremendous task to recover,
task which brings in it's train its
own problems that multiply evils
and retard progress.
Wage-cutting solves nothin9-it
simply complexities the national
troubles.