The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1924-10-24


IL states and cover 45.65l employees
representative factories lcated il
The Cost of Food
1t is said in defense OF the polio,
CT maintaining these wage rates ths
the cost OF living is correspondingly
higher. This is not so in the case oil
farm products. The most important
single item OF expense in 4 working
mans family is food. and the Bureau
OF Labor collects information month.
ly as to the retail prices OF food in
the principal cities OF the country
Is report issued last month showing
prices in August in l8 cities show,
that the weighted average OF retail
prices of the articles OF food entering
into the common family ration were
higher than in August, 1913. b. a
range from 81 per cent in Memphis
to so per cent in Detroit
On that part OF the wage-earner's
living expenses which are affected by
organized labor's wage policy oil
course he suffers with everybody
else This a back kick which taken
in connection with the unemployment,
resulting from the same cause makes
that policy worse than doubtful even
from the standpoint OF organized "a
Dor itself. The higher cost OF clio h.
ing. shoes. rent. transportation and
everything that the workingman buys
is traceable to this wage policy.
Even the food which he buys. al
though showing a smaller increase
than commodities produced by or
gained labor is enhanced by the
higher cost OF transportation and
higher wages to everybody who
handles it.
The unfairness OF that policy to-
ward the farmer stands ont clearly. |
He has been supplying the hides for
the wage-earners' shoes at prices |
which included an average increase OF |
fully 100 per cent in the pay OF al
who had anything to |
do with them. from tanning the hides |
and making the shoes to Transporting
the hides and shoes across the coun-
Ivy and through city streets. He has
been doing his pirt of the task OF
bread and meat to the
wage-earners on a pIe-war basis
while paying for practically every
hing he has had to buy al prices
which included wage scales of which
he above are samples.
The clothing trades unions were
mong the first to endorse the third
party ticket and are reported as {
mong the main financial supports.
he textile unions and shoe workers S
MONS likewise have pledged their /
upport, and it cannot be denied tina. S
ne highly organized trades kav, t
enerally come into line. Undoub'- i
dly they expect to strengthen their &
osItlon in wage-bargaining-that ; S
} say, in fixing the terms upon whicl. d
'eir services will exchange for the a
-oducts and services which they re- II
i've from the farmers and others. b
nd they are all depending on Tie p
rmer to help them put it over" tc
A Labor Conference al
Addressing a group OF labor lead :,
S in Washington. ID. C., recently =
'nator La Toilette declared that
ne OF the fundamental issues in this "
mpaign is the high cost OF living" ::
d proceeded to say: ~
Living costs started to mount m
". artihcially increased by the high -
-iff law and the stranglin;g OF com. -.
lition. We should therefore com. =:
re the buying power of the dona- ~
lay with what it was then. II we ~
we find 40 cents in 1900 would 49,
y more necessities OF life thar 81 -
l purchase now. "
The price level OF 1897 was the
vest since the civil war, being in -,
trough OF the depression Incl 49,,
'tal to the Bryan campaign agains, =,
country's monetary system IN -
y. 1t was time of desperately 49,;
: prices for agricultural product -.
OF widespread unemployment in g.
ustry. The entire Bryan cam -.
gn was conducted as a protes, 49,,
inst the existing low prices anil 20,
ustrial distress. and with the az sc,
nation that while living costs were :,
few people were able to cover On,
tan
he chairman OF the conference OF is
Or leaders at which the La Toilette
och was made was Mr.. Warren {.
ne. President OF the brotherhood
Locomotive Engineers. and there =
c present the other brotherhood
is who are identified with the La MI