The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) TUESDAY, JANUARY, 30, 1917. COST OF LIVING IN AMERICA.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15133, 30 January 1917, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald (Published Daily.) TUESDAY, JANUARY, 30, 1917. COST OF LIVING IN AMERICA.

Not only is the high cost of living causing uneasiness in those countries which are engaged in war, but in the several neutral States of Europe, as also in America, there is serious trouble in connection with the same matter. In’ the United States an Inter-State Commerce Commission has been deputed to compile evidence bearing on the problem, and it is shown that the activities of food and other speculators have penetrated into every section of the country. Huge warehouses are holding food products, and officials of the Department of Justice assert that evidence from their force of investigators is to the effect that combinations of foodstuff dealers exist all over the country. Statistics gathered by the InterState Commerce Commission are said to show that when coal prices went up recently loaded cars were left standing in railway yards all through the Middle West. At times these cars are believed to have been held as long as six weeks, while the Department has been informed also that refrigerator cars, which have at several times been at a premium, had' been held up for many weeks by unwillingness on the part of the consignees to unload them and return them to service. In the middle of December 300 women, representing Socialist organisations marched through New York to the City Hall to ask the Mayor to help check the rising cost of food, and establish municipal market terminals, bakeries, dairies, and other community food-centres. They also urged the city to furnish school children with lunches, asserting that the number of little folk who were inadequately fed had increased rapidly since the cost of commodities had ascended i-eyond the means of the poor. It was 'asserted by the deputation that in certain towns the municipality sold coal for 21 dollars a ton, for which the traders were asking 71 dollars. There were 100,000 children in New York city alone going hungry every day, and; similar conditions prevailed in all the principal cities. The cost of food and other necessary commodities was so high that the deputation feared lawlessness and disorder unless the authorities did something to breqk down the monopolies and ease the position. Several of the State Governments are endeavouring to find a solution of the dear living problem, and Bills have been introduced in Ohio and in other States intended to prevent the holding in warehouses of perishable goods for a longer period than two or three months, while other States are fixing prices for the necessaries of life.