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Show COST OF LIVING IN SWITZERLAND Tho Swiss Statistical Society issues a quarterly bulletin giving prices of the articles of food found upon the tables of the working classes. The chief of oPllce of SL Gall, the editor of this bulletin, uses the roports from tho police departments of tho capitals of the twenty-two Swiss cantons nnd eight equally Important centers of population. An analysis of the bulletins bulle-tins from January, 1905, to January, 1911 Indicates largely increased cost of living. Not only food, but rents, clothing and almost every article used In the household have gone up with in the same period. Thero has, how, over, been no proportionate increase in the wages of working people, and If the present depressed condition of the embroidery trade, St Gall's chief industry, should continue, there will undoubtedly be a general scaling down. Among the hand-machine workers here, hundreds are now idle, with little prospect of employment . But four kinds of meat are "quoted in tho report beef, veal, pork and bacon. These havo gone up in price 25 per cent since January, 1905. In the January, 1911 bulletin, beef is quoted at 20 cents per pound; veal and pork, 2G cents; nnd bacon, 20 cents. Inquiries in the markets and shops, however, prove that these prices are for only the poorest and toughest cuLs. The best parts of the beef can not be bought in St Gall for loss than 40 cents per pound; even soup moat It 20 cents per pound; pork 30 to 34 cents; and bacon, 28 cents. Hams (wholo) of good brands are 36 cents per pound. Mutton which has disappeared from the tables of working work-ing peopio, is selling at 20 to 24 cents per pound, but the best of it is tough and stringy. No quotations are given In any of tho reports on tho price of horse meat, which must bo consumed In considerable quantities in this section, sec-tion, as there are three wcll-paronized establishments In St. Gall dealing In It oxclushely. So sharp has been tho pinch of high prices on the working classes that the Government has decided to permit tho importation of frozen boof, which is subject to n duty of $4 83 per 100 kilos (220 pounds). Heretofore frozen beef could bo imported only by special permission, nnd oven now it may bo sold only in places whoro proper refrigerating apparatus Is Installed. In-stalled. SL Gall is tho first Swiss city to make suitable arrangements and have it on sale. Two recent consignments con-signments woro rapidly sold at an average price of 15 cents per pound. Sovoral establishments aro preparing to sell tills meat, the law forbidding frozon and frosh meats to bo sold in the samo shop or markot house. |