Show ill ti- ti Statistic Stati sti Cs of f P Prosperity J I I I tt ii t government t I CAI lepolis s nii 11 I Ue be the met fact of the general gm prosperity rity of or orth I th iho he country too ton for dispute though he the elect election ion free Iee trade writers Items and speakers alem's I in to misrepresent him mis represent and anil br belittle the iho significance c of the tho statistics contained in times 1 10 poris Tho rhe substantial ull hl of or Ih the government go statistics Is la confirmed by ly lh the tho reports of tr labor burning In several sev eral 1 stoics states whore Kim similar conditions are art revealed Ip a I 11 1 I lr Prices ices and tl O ims t of ol i TIme Tho report of oC tIme the federal Bureau of or Labor Labom Mh that thal I iho he h a average Vf JC wage I I earner Is working s shorter hours than limn over CI before that thai ho hl Is receiving more pay pity tot tor OJ the short hour te ir tHan miami 11 he I r received cd N for t the he lon long hour holl r rel week el an find and 1 t that I I m t I the Ii e I Increase i In ii Ii his hh Is average l cr ge wag wage o Im imas been so o ga great al that Its purchasing power 1 ha has risen notwithstanding not riot withstanding tIme the Increase in the tho price of many man commodities Finally It simons shows that there thoro has Imas ht boon n nn nil enormous enor onor- moos increase III In the 1111 ii number of ut persons per sons son employed fh Tho fhe report leport covers I he 1 year cal period beginning with I 1890 and ended ndel with 1005 1906 Comparing Compel I lug InS I 1 1804 SH with I it Il that the average l raI wage ag an hour has haM Increased lr per Imer cent while time the I average hours hour worked a have havo decreased 3 9 per Ier cent cOnt The Thc average wagE wage earn aln er em el working shorter hours hoots earns I G. G 67 7 I IlCI per cent more a week than titan In lii I ISO t I Iund und and I 12 per imet cent more mOIo than titan In ill I IS S aft aftIn I 0 In till the meantime the time av average price of oC food according to lo the time average av- av avI I rage fomil family consumption in th the lie families fam fam- of nf 2567 In Increased 1 7 tIer per ler com cent above ubo 1904 and 98 p per r cent above 1 1890 ISIO Notwithstanding ing this his Increase time tIle average wage vage an hour would purchase JI 77 per pCr C cent cont n I more food In J 1905 1915 HIj than thon In 1 1891 SH and 8 81 1 I per fEI cent nt more mor in Jim I SIlO suo Still Stillmore more Important has b been the Increase In the tho number employed In 11 I q amounting lo to 12 per cent over r 1 1894 a and nil to lo tOi per n cent over 1890 The combined effect of f the In Increase In th the average wage anti and In ill the 1 employed was Va to lo increase I the he total amount paid In wages ages a week by ly cr i per pel cent above abonA 18 ISO I ami anti 1 pc pet per I cent above nho 1800 S If the bureau all of nf labor has hus secured data as uS to time till total cost of oC living for COl Iho ho series of years cars under Ion It 11 would have ha shown n a n larger Increase In the purchasing power newer of nn on hours hour's wage than is 10 shown b by considering con con- time the pi Ice of or food alone for COl It ItI ItIs I Is true that thai while willie there thell has been en a general advance In commodity prices since Ince the h beginning of oC the lie present era cla of or prosperity that advance ance has been greatest l In the prices ices of agricultural products product and anti raw materials generally The average l Increases e In prices of manufactured articles have havo been much mitch less Tho The Increase e In time price of agricultural agricultural agri agri- I cultural products especially meats meaL t. t has har lar advanced the time cost o t of food to a much greater greatel degree titan than the prices o of clothing and house hOURC furnishings have havo advanced In some som localities the thc cost of fuel has gone gon up and In III sonic Rom localities hIHL rents arc aie ie higher but on the whole the average Jv cost of or living iving ha has not nol advanced ad in lon Uon to 10 the time cost cosi of oC foods That manufactured man man- articles have hav not advanced in n proportion to lo tho the advance sul in the prices of or raw materials anti and the till WH wages S 'S Suf of if labor i is i due to 0 tIme the fact that thal manufacturing manu manu- establishments establishments- st especially ho the larger largel concerns have been ablo able to 10 o Introduce economies economics that have off- off st to lo some degree degroo tho tin greater G cost ot of bar m 14 ml 11 S t 11 One ne of th the mM most t mrs lit In n moderating the tit advance In COmm COmm- duty lt prices s general generally s has hns been the decline de tIC- cline in fn the cost of transportation transportation- a u cost that thai enters title Into the tue selling price ice I of practically eV every I commodity The rite Cr freight ight I average chat charge a ton lon a utile mile for fOI or I as reported by th the Interstate Inter state Commerce commission slon shows 1 a decrease decIn of or per pCr cent cem as compared compared com corn pared with 1901 1904 and amI per cent as compared with ISOO 1890 The rite es lot or 1 JOU will show a still till Curth further r re- re This rapid decline In the average a cost of tran transportation In the fact fac act of greatly Increased expenditures H 11 res or nr railroad wags wages and materials anti and supplies of all kinds has hns been made po possible by the he expend I luie by the railroads o of hundreds of oC millions of oC dollars rs for COl the h betterment of tracks and anti roadbeds the tho elimination of oC glad grades s anti and curves and the purchase u of moie powerful Io engines and lar larger el elcar cars car enabling them to lo make large IncreaseR from year yeni loyear In the aselage average av av- as' as age el-age trainload These railroad Improvements Im Im- un- un have ha contributed materially materi ally to the general Increase e In prosperity pros pros- of or the whole hoh countI giving employment to man mummy many thou thousands ands of or wage earners antI and distributing enor enormous sums aunts of or mon money I The o lIr PIO are are- Prosperous That the thc farmers armors of or the country countr are enjoying almost unexampled prosperity Is made evident In the thc re report re- re port of Secretary Wilson lIson of the Department Department De Do- of or Agriculture Farm values values values val val- ues computed In 1905 are gre greater tel than shown hown by the census of 1 1900 OO by hy nearly or about 50 GO per percent percent percent cent increase Perhaps some sonic deduc deduc- deduction tion would woul be ma made made- e. e for foi Inflation of values In certain sections of oC the country coun coup try otherwise this Is probably a a. fall fair c estimate c The total wealth produced on the farms In 1 Is estimated d at an Increase of S per pel percent cent over oer 1905 this Increase ase being In fn Inthe the rhe face race of or a decline of or 40 OmIt I In lit the farm value alue of the time various arlou cercal cereal I cal eal crops crop The latter hO however el heIng he- he heIng ing much luch larger largel In than the crops crop Increases time the total value b by Tho The following comparisons com corn ont parl-ont ar are available n S lJ tj iso Corn Cotton JI n y hen I t 4 J S1 1072 Oa l 00 thu 00 os 0 l Harle harley a r ley G. G Sugar syrup and inn lasses ji I ljJ ill jOi II f 2 OO lice Ice t 12 Oi I n v r iM o H 10 j j PS JO I I il I ITo j To I a i if Qua ii t II len 1905 Corn bushels 2 SlI ll 0 Hay lon ion i Wheat heaL bushels I K i i Potatoes bu lM helM I I icy Barley bushels HV 1 O e T Tobacco IJa cco lbs Ibs IO OO bu bushels 28 Rye nn hu ls l Tho Ih farm a em st still ii III I o overshadows versha i ti clow t the lit mill milland UI III and factory In lii providing exports ports In iii which cotton ollon maintains a I 1111 ling Ii loud Iud I amounting to In of or Ih tIme the I lo total al of or of tf agricultural ura I I The Fite secretary cr says nay ai It I Is upon molt tho the selling of nf a fl surplus In foreign for fim I eign eln countries that tho ho farmer fumel de d' depends do- do I p for time the maintenance of or profit profit- ablo ahlo prices r for r meat animals ani but bUl he I Ial j al also n Ha says N that thai cr c every Increase se of or one- one tout tout-tb of a cent per pcr pound In the average average av av- average av- av price of or meat meal raises the total yearly carl expense to conf consumers by 11 ii 11 Thus It Is li Inevitable that thai a t lal larger r export trade In lit foodstuff IJ by maintaining or increasing the lie homeI hon homo I S ii 1 S j S. S J I 1 I II Ii i I U e l II I h bf III r i I I Ui It I t r Is bad butil tom fur the iho con umlI mIllis E this llis accounts in toil pall l for fol time the hl lx i I c Co cost ost t of ln living In Iii conclusion lion flu fhe secretary NI laly I x C Cotton planters aro nov lOW out I f t theil heim former bondage to rut III maintenance main t and amid in the middle we-i we I lh In h. t h hn has as h been n a conversion of or a Bullin a 1 debtor paying high utes t.- t. o of or f interest Into financially I ent e nt farmers free debt anti and K t their hou to lo the banks banka at a t small i a i rate of Interest as a 2 per com F i nut nut- c I ci ar are aro m using musing their new nev i Li ca a abolish bolish the Vo tl places places- of th tIm I It Kind iii nd and a along many linos o of i II I 1 p prod production Formerly tI there I a was WM 1 m iri II a abundance of or farm farm- labor and antI a c city ity of If farm Calm capital Now these I mini min on 1011 c i are aro I reversed vf ed labor I K bi s. s I. I lI nn iI S ful r capital abundant o 0 of mit r Savins I It Il I is often remarked that In iii tim Ihl tin tin- p prosperous times lImN most people are aio II 1 I Ing ng somewhat beyond their mean mean- 11 and nd a apparently are arC making no pr IA- IA i lon on for fOI th the future But recent 11 i i- i t relating lo to savings hank bunks iii- iii I J lt- lt show V that many Danny thousands thou of or s salaried people and arid wage earners am all aio e II III I n no nol ot expending all ll of their money f for n nl l li luxuries R II or I overt even for th the nc necessaries of or lif life During the last tC ten tea 1 Yla t the Ime number of oC depositors in I iving l banks hanke increased from rein I or om about CO GO per c cent In hll th Ito tho amount of deposits rosi fm If to 3 95 S. S about abou SO 80 r pe-r cent On II the u initial al basis baxis ls of or nv live five p persons r to tn I each ah t this his mean man that about half the lIme families toni toni- l lies ies In the thC United States Slates have hav bank accounts averaging l II Moreover t this his makes nt no allowance allo for Coa more mOl I Ilhan t than itan deposited in lit building build build- ing hug and loan bait associations association's by hy J I 4 II 01 U individuals nor 1101 for or the Increase In lit l' l resources of or national anti and other banks l less Is ess i C of or tIme the pin In p peo pip pIe 11 I Interests ls of 0 n. n II 11 lI The Tito plaint Is now frequently hanl that lint salaries have not kept pac with ith t the he advancing co cost t of ln living thai Ihal while farmer ez J H arid and I n average wage earner who uIe aie all consumers Ion con fl- fl sumers themselves I cs may be b. getting gelling helm share of or prosperIty lh the average salaried per person on Is 11 delI ln deriving no advantage all athan tage whatever from the tw prevailing conti conditions i I ions I It t Is estimated t I number of IH persons r ons In thi Ih liv living livIng liv- liv ing on nit salaries and fixed lb Incomes Incomes- comprises only about one lift one te-nih te of or the whole number engaged in gainful gain gain- ful occupations A recurrence or of hard timp times ml might ht bring some som n ri- ri lief to 10 this small class t of or consumers but a period of fit Industrial anti and butt bus business ness depression l pre which would lower pr prices and cost of or living mi might ht result eventually in a corresponding depies- depies slon for tot the time salaried class It Jl is iol a aI I certain n as anything can an he hI that thai I if we 1 had a long period of Industrial and ani business stagnation there would bi- bi fewer Cw r opportunities s for Cor remunerative employment anti and many persons would bo lie more mor likely to have their sJ sa salaries 1 reduced than bait Increased Ed even Cil n if ir th tiie were assured d of ot perma permanent Cm employ plo mont ment g cr Every J h business and In a community will surf suffer I when an Important local industry suffers and amid th there Ic Is no escape scap from IL Those rho who n-ho complain that the pro present pros pios- I Is grossly un that that the aie c getting little or om no no share of IL It I ought to know Iwo that there that there can h. h be lie no exact adjustment of Its benefits fh The Tiie situation might bo he much worse O for 01 r tho t If fr HwI wn was nn no prosperity Il for fOJ anybody L n 5 r I r The Time Increase In the coh cost of or lI in living is du duo titie to many cau causes but principally t to o the tho rapid Increase ease In mm organizations organisations of or capital and labor abol which havo created creat ed ott larger production ion inn and la larger gI con con- I The adoption of a i highe-i standard of oC living by millions of people lieu peo pie of or all nationalities I in all puits of i the country Ks is an Important tory lory cause This would bo be impossible If it they were wele not nol getting a a. share shurl ot oi oj the prosperity benefits It Is found that millions of or out our people 31 are not content to lIv live as aR plainly and Inexpensively Inex pensively cly as most people were wert compelled com cOin n I p polled lo to live half a u. century ago aJo and anti that thal millions now nott possess luxuries s an and comforts which v worn out tint of the question at the he earlier period Other Oth Oth- er lr contributory causes cause's to the ito higher highel high high- er em cost of PIo production duo due to labor scarcity and amid higher wa wages es Increased J rents and und the time manipulation of oC commod com com- mod It prices by by speculators s and m middlemen As low prices and a a. high highe degree e le of prosperity seldom go tog together th- th or er the lie only effective means lo to rr re- re duce time the cost o of subsistence would bEto be belo beto to lo kill the goose gnose that lays lay time the golden egg gg of prosperity but hut this would be beat beat C Cat at the time of or the time expense SI greatest good goodof of the Iho greatest number whose Interests Inter inter- c eats ests ts should not be he sacrificed to give Ithe I the boon if ir cheaper living Ji to a small class ff consumers |