The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-04
I TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Director.
Warrington. ID. @.
LIVING COSTS AND STANDARDS.

all OF the strikes winch nave occurred
lin recent years have been for the pur-
pose of obtaining higher wages or to
prevent the reduction of existing
wages. In some strikes only issues in
voIving hours of labor and other work
ing conditions have been involved, but,
generally speaking, the strikes have
been wage strikes.
Since prices of commodities started
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 esta bf4Shed
wage scales.
This has led to special studies of
the problem of the cost of living, and
one fact established is 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. Further,
many commodities are within the
range of comparatively low-waged
workers which, because of 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 relative.
There is scarcely anyone who does
not agree that the people should have
the additional things which they en-
joy under modern conditions, but
there is a desire to emphasize that
exact comparisons cannot be made
and that to say that the cost of living
has increased is not wholly fair. The
more precise statement Is that the
cost of modern living has increased.
The first labor union was organized
in the county of Dorsetshire in Eng
land more than a century ago. Its
founders are known in the lore of or
ganized labor as The Six Men of Dor
set. They were farm laborers and
| they struck for higher wages. The
| wages which they received consisted
| almost wholly of theri food and lodg-
ing. A few pence were added in
money but only enough to buy little
| beer and tobacco. The wage increase
for which they struck was more meat.
They were getting meat only on Sum
days, the remainder of their diet con-
sisting chiefly of humble porridge and
such vegetarian food. They desired
| meat twice or three times a week.
Dealt With SummariIy.
The action of the Six Men of Dorset
was regarded by the British employers
as preposterous and highly dangerous
to organized society. They were ar
| rested, tried and convicted for con-
spiracy for forming their labor union
and were transported on the prison
| ship Success to serve long terms in
|
| Land.
The comparison between The Six
| Men of Dorset and a modern labor
| union striking for more dollars per
day or for shorter hours is an extreme
one, but it serves to show how times
have changed and how the condition
of men has improved.
| But more immediate comparisons,
particularly with a view to the added
comforts of life, will be more ap-
posite. Take the single item of ice
cream. Formerly it was altogether a
luxury. Today, every uTchin on the
| streets has an ice cream cone daily
and sometimes several times a day.
| Every American city spends several
| thousands of dollars a day for Ice
cream. This is an entirely new addi-
| ton to the cost of living, and it may
be pointed out that it is not fair to
| call this an increase in the cost OF
| living. It merely is an addition to the
cost of living. If a given city spends
$4,000 a day for ice cream, the citi-
zens of that city have added $4,000
a day to their cost of living by making
this expenditure. This is an addition
not an increase, in the cost of living OF
| 100000 a week; $10,920,000 a year
I'VE spend, in addition, 100000 q
day for ice, a comparatively modern
| convenience.
| Another immediate comparison il
! the motion picture show. Two dec
| AIDES ago movies were scarce. A few
| were operating but the universal ad-
mission charge was cents. Today
the American public spends approx
mately $1,000. 100000 year on the
movies. This is $40 apiece for every
man, woman and child in the nation
This is an addition to, not an increase
| in the cost of living.
These instances could be multiplied
almose endlessly. The country ii
flooded with novelties in the way Of
new foods, new sorts of wearing ap-
/ parel, new amusements and a thou
sand and one other new things totally
unknown to and unused by the man OF
only one generation ago. !
The magazines furnish an interest
ing example. There are thousands OF
Il periodical publications in the United
States today most of which have large
circulation; most of them so large a.
to stagger the ina gination.s A large
i circulation means that the people arr
buying the papers and magazines
Ninety per cent of this circulation i!
additional. 1t represents not an in
creased expense, but an added ex
pense, compared with what people
disbursed generation ago. The price,
of the commodities have not so mucl
increased; the people buy more com
modities and, especially, a greater va
riety of them.
| WnaC Au1OmODfleS cost.
Perhaps the single biggest addition
| to the cost of living is the automobile
Not so many years ago the horseles
carriage was a curiosity, regarded a
practical only by Missionaries. Toda!
every tenth person in the United
States has one. This means that ev
cry second family has one. A Law
average cost of running an automobil
is 81 a day. This means that tn
J American people spend $10,000,000
day for automobile hpkeep, as Their
are 100000 automobiles. Thi
|, amounts to $3.50, 100000 a year, ad
mittedly a conservative figure
A fair average price for an auto
mobile is $1,000 and an automobile
, Twill last, on an average, five years
Then, if a $1,000 car lasts five years
it costs 5000 a year, in addition to tn
: Iupkeep. There are 10, 100000 cars il
luse. This makes $4,000, 100000 {
Iyear. Add this to the upkeep cos
land YOU have a total of $3.50, 900, 00t