Show a 1 Faces daces Highest Cost C of Living in A American i nH History is Astor to r m e ca jj 1 i By George B. B Waters N N. N E E. E A. A Washington Bureau r WASHINGTON Jan Tan 2 The The American people face the new year jear with a higher cost of ot living staring them In the tho face than that which confronted them hem twelve months ago Despite fair price committees food administrators the he Lever law and prosecutions it cost 3 38 8 per cent more to eat New thew Years Year's dinner this year than it it did January 1 1919 1919 Legal minds say bay laws are to to to punish crime and nd deter others from committing like offenses The amended LeVer Leber- law is an exception to this rule rule Despite a a. few prosecutions and much talk food increased in cost 2 cent the first month it was I in effect per PCr Food Is 92 per cent higher now t. t than an before the war The bureau of labor statistics furnished u I h this figures It affects a all ail l who eat It is based bated on the he w weighted average average of ot essential foods t that at make make up up the daily diet in I American homes The smallest in increase increase increase in- in crease since since 1913 was in plate beef 43 43 3 per cent and the largest in eggs 15 lis 35 per cent OTHERS UP 88 PER CENT But fo d Is only one ono item People wear clothes clothe's live in houses burn bum fuel uel use use r furniture and have miscellaneous miscellaneous laneous expenses These are necessities necessities ties ies Considering these with food t I j I the he the general cost of of existing has jumped 88 per 83 peor per cent since b before fore the tho tho I I Iwar war This figure Is based on statistics I Il taken aken by the labor department In the i P b District l of Columbia Figures for the nation arent aren't s available avail I able congress able congress cut the appropriation for Cor or such work worle But say I these hese tally pretty well with conditions ellew elsewhere ere In the shadow of the White House the stately capitol and I the he department of justice where justice where A A. Mitchell Palmer holds forth general forth general living Iving costs wen went up 8 per cent from I April to November On this day of ot t tour our Lord January 1 J 1920 they are still lUll soaring WAGES LAG BEHIND Wages Wages' haven't kept pace livIng liv- liv Ing costs But they are so far behind I learned that the bakers bakers' are petting getting 86 per cent more than in 1913 What are Known as numbers l are arc to complicated to explain sin here but this means that when P He Me e bakers get et an increase of 1 22 pet cent of ot their present pay their wages will catch catch up with living costs This figuro figure fig fig- ure uro Is is' right up to now and is the first and only one one ne of ot its kind that has haK found its way way into hito print The rhe labor laboi department l' l sogn publish more figures th that t. t will reflect the I similar simir c conditions II in in trades trades' I INOT NOT TRUE OF OF ALL There ar are are other figures not so 50 o optimistic optimistic from the stal standpoint In eight tra trades tes the simple average increase in increaSe increase in- in crease in pay to about the thee middle of ot 1919 was 71 per cent Steel and Ironworkers iron ironworkers ironworkers workers had been increased per pcr percent percent cent hosiery and underwear workers 84 silk goods workers 91 mens men's clothing workers 71 sawmill workers 91 94 sash and door mill workers 5 furniture workers 54 cigar workers I 5 5 Only two silk goods and steel are ale ahead of II IL CL C Cr L. L When these figures figurea were made living costs were up 75 per cent Since SInCO then some of these wages have been Increased but the odds are still In favor of ot II C C. C L L. DOLLAR AN HOUR In Chicago I a a dollar an hour was the slogan and that is the approximate approximate mate mato scale in most trades now There the workers are far ahead of the hounds But Dut Chicago can hardly be classed as representative of ot the country country country coun coun- try generally In In Kansas City building building build build- ing laborers have been increased per cent Kansas City Is said to reflect ie- ie conditions generally and it Is true common laborers have ha fared better bet bet- tei ter than skilled workers worker When these figures were made carpenters there bet I were getting only 54 per cent more In Ch eland Clveland eland carpenters were getting 80 I per cent more on October 1 1 An in increase increase in- in crease of ot 4 44 4 per cent of t their present In-I In scale there would make their wages coincide with H H. C C. L. L HOW DO YOU STAND Each person may figure how Mr Ir I is affecting him slim The process is to consider your 1913 wage wa-e or salary at per cent Ascertain what percent per percent percent cent the Increase has bas been since then and add it to the per cent This gives your index x number If It your jour in increase increase increase in- in crease has been 60 per cent then your index number is Subtract this from the index number of the living livIng living liv liv- ing cost cost t this cost this is particular case gives 28 8 C C. L L. If IC your index number is more than then subtract from it the and divide the result by to de determine determine determine de- de termine how much you you are ahead of H H. C C. CL L DOLLAR HAS SHRUNK It Is said If you jou OU melt the dollar down and take the contents to a metal buyer he will give you 1 05 for it lU But take tale It to the general merchandise store and you get 53 cents for it it The following table shows how the once dollar has degenerated as I compared to its its 1913 value Worth December 1913 cents December 1914 99 99 cents centa December 1916 1915 98 cents I December 1916 88 cents December 1917 67 cents I December 1918 0 58 cents January 1920 63 53 cents I Another way to determine how one ones one's onesI s I earnings compare with his 1913 wages is to multiply his present weekly stipend sti stipend sU sti- pend in dollars by 53 63 cents WHAT CAUSES H. H C. C L. L I 1 can positively account tor for 23 5 of the high cost of living l It goes into I the federal treasury Uncle Sam is taking from the people a year more than he ho took in 1913 He gets it anywhere ho cap can fend f fm nd 1 It He lie I tells the business men to raise It it They add it to rent food fuel tuel clothes t amusements It cost the f families in ih America to exist In Jn 1913 rhe These e twenty millions of families must pay t this ls extra five fire billions Since 16 of these families families fam fam- pay no income tax it is added I to their living Irving costs and the men from i whom they buy food clothes and f fuel el hand it over to Uncle Sam EVERYBODY A TAXPAYER In 1919 every family paid Uncle Sam One On who thinks the themen men with big incomes pay the laves aves are as blind as the old fashioned person who use used d to think the kept up the government Who pays pay the excess I profits tax tax The man in the street of course He Ire also pays about 5 for every 1 Uncle Sam gets t Subtract this 23 5 per par cent from the 88 per cent increase in the living cost II leaves 64 per cent increase That Tha ThatIs That Thatis t is this would be the normal increase In the cost of living i r |