The Dominion. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1910. THE COST OF LIVING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 744, 17 February 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1910. THE COST OF LIVING.

The cabled announcement, printed •yesterday,'; that, tho president: of. the; United , : States-Vis expected to dp 1 something; to minimise the Ainpopu-. larity :-of :the,;: Payije Tariff,. and' anxious, to' prosecute -.'a','.serious,'cam■paign,;:against'; the', trusts/ is: a; fur-' : .'ther 'indication of the.resentment, of the: : Ainorican public.-:at■! the" high" cost;of;. ; living.;;,The , American Sen-: ate,;it;;;wasr reported. Qn,;Saturdayi'■. has'; set] up '& committee 'to /inyesti-, gate this , important question, , and the American papers to hand this week contain.abundant, evidence that some such' inquiry' is 'sorely'- needed. For .although the■ "Ultimate '■. Coiir sumer," as-he is referred to by, the New York' Post, is prosperous,-; he. is- also "hard up , ':.-. "He does riotlack for-vworki'.and'he is getting.'betr' ter rwag'el than, the men of any 'o'ther■country';;doin'g; the.: ,, same ;.class', of work, but. the high 'cost/of'.liying ; keeps him;strained ;to maintain his income iieyei; l with : his. outgo.-; ■ The high.and increasing , cost \of 'all 'the necessaries "of .life; is; a household arid 'an' , economic' 'problem -just'- now. ..:.;;;: :■ Everywhere'men are- talking about high'prices and the; increased cost-of 'living.; /On the. gfeat.'mass of -staple commodities present prices bear no relation whatever to value." According-to the London'" Sunday, Times, butter 'has ..'within' the last eighteen-months risen by. 40. ,per. cent.: in: the/:United States,,.,cheese. by'.'SO per -.cent./ eggs by. 100 'per cent., flour by-20 per cent; .and pork by J55 • per cent;'; .and. during-'this period wages havo;- riot /' risen; so 'far. ■at-any fate .as"the'bulk of the workers :are. o6ncefnetl.''( During -the last' 13 yearsj 'according] to .-Beadsteeet's figures, , the average wholesale prices per pdund : 'bf "tho" following, articles have : shdwfl these, increases: 'Breadstuffs:2idi; tp; 6d,', liyo; stock od/ : to'. Is..'.7d;,.;fruit , :6d.. ,ki ' ; BJd.'i'- eggs • ,(a' dozen),-. 6d/,'.to, l*s.;2d.,' muttori. 2jd.; to sjd.,];:.bacon ;2d.. to Bid.;;;'butter, 7id.'.tp,'ls. : ; : ;iid,', -hides':and. leather 35..5 d. .to;ss. 2d., :oils' 10d. .to Is: Bid.V ;/,.,::;•:;■,,/.'.;::,;; V-y-sV ;;■; -. A prominent Jo.w'a editor,\in.conversation with a representative',• of the; New .York Post, declared , that ■'before our ypung]men are grandfathers they will see. com eellingUike coffee is sold to-day—by theppund." This noted that men', now have to; pay 35 dollars; for '.•'a; suit! pf.elpthjes where .they'.oncei paid only. 15/ dollars, .'.The ;position. as'it affeicts the- average; '.worker was] recently .put in'very striking terms by- ME.GiFr, ford;Pinchot: '■■■■ ■'■'■■ .'■'■ . . ' ; : . ': r. :

"The-income of the'..average family,.in the"United States .is "less/than GOO-dol-lars a year.;. : To increase, the cost , of living to such a family beyondv the reasonable ,, :profits of' legitimate;,business is wrong.',. It-' is not merely a question of a few. cents morq'a'.day for' 'the.necessaries of life, or of a ! few' cents less a day; for ■wages.'. Far more, is at stake— .the ■> health; or •sickness: of. little babies, the education or ignorance: of children; virtue'or. vice in young , daughters, l hori-. esty ov criminality ;'in young, sons, the working power'of bread-winners, the integrity of -families, the provision .for old , a' word, ;the welfare and happiness or 'the -misery; and degradation, of the plain are involved in the , cost of ■ living. To the special interests an unjust rise in the cost of living means simply .higher profit,, but to those who pay it, that'profit is ', measured in sohooling; warm clothing,. :a:reserve to? meet emergencies, a-fair .'chance.', to make the figlit for comfort,-; decency, :,and- right living." .-,. ' ■■.'■.'.' :.; ,- : .' > ■-.-. ':-:■:-;

.' In his message to Congress on December' 8, the President assigned.the trouble to "the- proportionate increase in'the output of gold" and .!?thc increase in population and the more expensive 'mode of living of tho. ; people, which, have not , been' accompanied by ; a proportionate 'increase .in acreage production.". But it is: believed •by most people that the.high tariff is the real cause of the.'distress.., In "themselves -trusts are not evil; trade combinations that render production and distribution more economical, while at tha same'time operating :on the 'com-' merce of the world bo aa:to enlarge) the markets and channels of ; ex-i changei may conceivably be ; veryi good -indeed for the country that! harbours .. them.... But what ■ the! trusts: do for America's national! wealth in bringing'economy into the' workof production and distributiqiv'' they .undo by.'fostering extravagaricq , and by turning the natural of activity and production into;unj; natural channels. They lead also to ■a corruption of government, and corrupt government is as bad for a .'nation as bad husbandry is for the farmer. Tho. real .remedy ro-' quired by , America;' nobody can doubt, is a gradual but firm anil continuous reduction of the tariff. As we noted some time ago, even so stout an ally of the high-tariff■: Republicans as. the 1 New, York Tribute ( has been admitting that'the case for Protection, such as it is, cannot stand unless it includes the principle of a reduction of duties afterj a.! certain time. Tho cas? of America is. only another proof of ,the fact | that however,dead the.modern dbctrinaire may imagine the natural laws of economics to be, they, are yery much alive,, and will; continue I io live,, and to produce their results; [so long a« man occupies the planet, ■ i- ■ ■ l ■'