New Britain Herald Newspaper, December 21, 1917, Page 11

o RALD. * THE NUTHEG STATE Cong. Lonergan Gives Figares < Showing High Prices Here (Special to the Herald) Washington, D. C., Dec. 21 Inter- esting sidelights on the increase in the :go0st of living in Hartford and other cities in Connccticut are revealed in | a speech by Congressman Augustine Lonergan, who argued for higher salaries for post office clerks of the first and second classes. According to Mr. Lon\ , the cost of living has inrmedkao to 75 per cent., and he beljeves the clerks should receive salaries commensurate with what they are forced to pay for the necessities < ot life. © % The speech follows: £ “Mr. Speaker, the bill under consig- eration merits the attention and: should command the-support of every" right-thinking man in congress. The. clerks and carriers in first. and second class post offices ask for an increase. in pay. And public:opinion is behind them. It is provided that they be divided into six classes and that the classes be reimbursed as follows: First grade, $1,000; secand grade, © ,$1,100; third grade, $1,200; fourth ®rade, $1,300; fifth grade, $1,400; sixth grade, $1,500. Inclusion in the- various grades is to depend upon terms of service. “The proposition is a fair one. Serv-. ice at all times should be rewarded. % UPrivate corporations throughout the . country are taking every advantage of the present shortage in labor to offer increases to their employes, to grant bonuses to them, to interest them in B § many kinds of social endeavor, so that they will be contented with their work arnd satiefled with- their apportunities. This is true alike of manufacturing establishments in Hartford county,| zwhich I have the honor to repre-~ sent, in the state of Connecticut, and| throughout the industrial centers of the country; it is true of large mer- cantile establishments; it is true of" smealler concerns. Obviously, then, it must of necessity be to the best inter— ests of the United States for the gov- ernment to change the schedule of sal- aries of its employes in the postal service so that their remuneration: will at least be in keeping with the: vages paid to the men even less Skilled than they in other walks of: life. The things for which the em- lcyes ask comprise a madest request, Andeed. The government should be: the model employer. ““Their arguments are facts that are =t the disposal of everyone. If it.w for service alone they ask to be better trented. their desires.should be grant- ed without question, for there is no harder working department in the government today than the Postal de- partment. But with the small recom- pense they now receive for their la- bors is the very vital problem brought home to every man today, the problem of meeting the increased cost of living. A few years ago a man with s salary of $1,000 a year was cornsidered to be well paid. Then the dollar had high purchasimg value. To- day ita purchasing power is not so .. marked. “Investigation of the change in the market prices of food in Hartford, Conn., my home towm, and the other cities of the state reveals figures that are surprising. Practically every sub- stantial eatable has been advanced from 25 to 50 per cent., while some of the necessary articles that go toward a meal have been advanced almost 75 per cent. “The increase has been the greatest in meats. Short steaks that-today cost 60 to 70 cents a pound could be bought i 1907 for only 32+to-40 cents a pound, while roast weal that today sells for 30 to 45 cents-a pound.could be obtained at 14 to 25 cents a pound i 10 years aga. Corned beef has shown | an increase of from 6 to 20 cents a. pound in 1967 to 20 and 35 cents a. pound today, but cabbage, which us- ually accompanies .corned beef on to the table, has ascended only 2 cents. Lamb chops-could be bought for from 18 to 30 cents'a pound then, but today the housewife must pay from 50 to 65 cents a pound. Other meats dave gone up in proportion. “A meatless dinner would not save the housewife much, as there has been a very noticeable inerease in the price of vegetables. Potatoes, the standard food in thausandssof Connec- ticut homes, have almost doubled in price. It was possible to buy a peck of potatoes for 30 cents in 1910, but 50 cents is the price asked now, with every indteation that it will be higher In the near future. Sweet potatoes have gone up in the same proportion, A. PINKUS, Eyesight Specialist and Manufacturing Optician. Multigraph Letters " Fme-simile of Typewriting done in 1, 2 and 3 colors with signatures. Letter Heads Printed. THE HARTFORD wmwm'nm co. INC,) 26 Gtate filrut. Hartford. Conn. TAXI and LIVERY Service Reasonable, Reliable —7 Passenger Pacliard Limousine— H. I. HART, . Tel. 1930 GARAGE 596 ARCH STREET. jumping from 35 cents a peck in'1907 | to 60 cents a peck in 1917. Tomatoes, watercress, new beets, mint and pars- ley have, however, remained the same during the 10 years. “Housewives feel the high cost of groceries, especially those who were buying for a family back in 1907. In those days:butter could be bought for 35 cents, cheese for from 12 to 25 cents, flour for $6.75 a barrel, syrup for §1.50 a gallon, sugar for 6 to 8 cents a pound, eggs for from 35 to 40 cents a dozen. Today butter sells for 57 cents, cheese for from 35 to 38 cents, flour for $1.90 a sack, syrup for 2.10 a gallon, sugar 5 pounds for 53 cents, and eggs for from 55 to cen “Poultry took a big jump. Native broilers sold for 28 cents a pound in 1907, but they cost 45 cents a pound now. Fowls have jumped from 22 and 25 cents a pound to 38 cents, squabs from $3.75 to $5 a dozen to 60 cents each, and ducks from 25 to 28 cents a pound to 40 cents. Fish are also more expensive now, especially halibut, haddock and lobsters. “These figures were as of the early days in November this year. It will be seen at once that salaries of a few 'vears ago can no longer provide for the families of the employes of the | 75 government in the postal service the g necessities and surroundings that the family, if it is to continue as the strong social unit, must have. “The clerks and carriers are not fighting their fight for higher wages alone. There has recently come to me | as representative of the First district | of Connecticut a petition signed by more than 1,000 of the most promi- nent men in the civil life of Hartford, among them that of a former chief executive of the state, members of the state legislature, merchants, working- | men, professional men and clergy- men. All ask that the clerks and car- | riers be granted the increase they seek. - The laborer is worthy of his, hire. i Few Want Positions. “Incidentally, it may be stated here | that in the city of Hartford alone dur ing the past year, from the carriers’ list, 48 carriers were notified, but 20 eligibles declined to accept, and 6 sub- stitutes resigned after being appoint- ed. In addition, 6 regular carriers and 1 rural carrier resigned, all be- cause they could not afford to take. the position. The salary was inade- quate. From the clerk list, in the same time, 34 eligibles declined to ac- cept appointment and 11 substitute clerks resigned after being appointed. 80 clerks having been notified. Four regular clerks resigned. This, to my mind, is a reflection on the method of' -establishing salaries for men in the service. “The ifmportance of keeping thes mails and the postal service of'the country at the maximum of efficiency . — NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1917. FOR A MANS CHRISTM BUY HIM SOMETHING TO WEAR ---AT THE H. O. P. STCRE NECKWEAR . SILK SHIRTS. ceee... 50c to $2.00 $3.50 to $6.00 MADRAS NEGLIGEE SHIRTS BATH ROBES MEN’S SILK HOSE, All Colors MUFFLERS RD ONEPRICE mlrl‘: ll6Asva S'r(l‘? HARTFORD . $1.50 to $2.50 ... $6.00 to $12.00 . $1.25 to $5.00 $2.00 to $4.00 pair SHAVING STANDS TOILET SETS $6.00 to $25.00 SUSPENDERS IN BOXES 50c, 75¢, $1 LEATHER BELTS IN BOXES 50¢, 75¢, $1 SWEATERS, All Wool $6.00 up MEN’S UMBRELLAS $1.25 to $7.00 MILITARY SETS, PAJAMAS, COLLAR BOXES. . $1.00 to $5.00 AND GIFTS FOR THE LADIES, TOO WOMEN’S HANDKERCH IEFS, All Prices LADIES’ UMBRELLAS, $1.50 to $7.00 FURS AND FUR SETS SUITS AND COATS LADIES’ SILK HOSE IVORY CLOCKS, $2.50 to $5.00 FUR COATS, EVENING GOWNS BLOUSES, DRESSES, ETC. OPEN EVENINGS UNTIL CHRISTMAS | during these war times is self-evident. It has impressed itself so upon the military leaders of our country that in the draft many postal employes, while not by virtue of their office exempt, are placed in different classes. If the postal service of the country fails dur- ing the present emergency, business of the country will be seri- ously handicapped. If business is at all handicapped, the sources from whrich we expect to take revenue for! winning the war will be jeopardized; jeopardize the collecting of revenue and immediately the sinews of war are affected. The consequence in dis- Tupting the postal service by driving men from it into other occupations because of the poor salaries paid post- al employes would be harmful in the extreme. We have the words of the then the | president, that the present task of the nation is to win the war. Teamwork must do it. And raising the salaries of the clerks and carriers will make the Post Office department a most effi- | cient branch of the service. To this the people are entitled. “It is to be hoped, too, that the! Tural carriers, those men who brave| the storms of winter and who at all hazards keep the avenues to the farms open to the cities, will also soon bene- fit by legislation. The same increase in the cost of living in cities, as cited above, has also been felt in the coun- try in the purchase of supplies for the | farm. And we should not forget any | particular class of men in one service, | if the legislation planned to benefit the whole service is to be enacted. | “At any rate, Mr. Speaker, I trust, CON LOW PRICE Tables of All Kinds Chairs of Great Assort- ment Genuine Leather Tapes- {try or Velour Damask Coverings with QOak or Mahogany Frames in 3-piece Living Reom Suites Davenports, Suites, Fancy Covered Rock- ers, Genuine Leather Rockers, Covered Reed Sets and Sepa- rate Rockers and Chairs. Buffets Dressers Roll Top Desks Flat Top Desks Cedar Chests Bed Room, Dining Room, Parlor Electric Lamps, with Silk Shades, in Mahogany and Birdseye Maple Stands. Come Early. Perfection Oil Heaters Rugs, Tapestry, Axlmn ster, French, Wilton, all sizes. Congolium Rugs Bissell Carpet Sweepers Fancy Looking Glasses, all sizes. Pictures with pearl set- tings and beautiful scenes in Circassian and Gilt Frames. Baby Carriages and Baby Fur Robes. Cedar Mops Practical Brushes Strong Ironing Boards, Sets, Flat Irons. High-Chairs Rockers. A MERRY CHRISTMAS A HAPPY NEW YEAR -TO ALL Hair Floor STORE FOR CHRISTMAS GIFTS AND USEFUL FOR ALL YEAR ROUND. WE WILL SATISFY YOU AND YOUR PURSE WILL NOT BE MUCH OF A LOSER OUR TOY LINE Automobiles Rocking Horses Wagons Hobby Horses Flexible Flyer Sleds Pick Sticker Sleds Movable Kiddie Kar Desks With Black Boards inside Doll Carriages, Willow, Tin and Wood In China, Glass and Crockery Dinner Sets, Decorated and White Cups and Saucers and Plates Wine Sets, Beer Lemonade Sets, Punch Bowl Sets, Covered Fruit Dishes, Fancy Casseroles, Chocolate Pots, Salad Dishes, Nickel Plated Tea Kettles, Best Aluminum Extra Heavy Kettles. or Don’t Wait Until the Last Day as our Stock is getting smaller every day. They all tell us and we are sure that we are The Lowest Price Store in the State. - e L o HARRY ALEX 371-373 MAIN STREET, COMPLETE HOUSEFURNISHING DEPARTMENT STORE . that a bill for the increase of salaries of clerks and carriers will soon be- come law — Ask F : . o Y% Horlick's .o The ORIGINAL \ Malted Milk i * Substitutes ik Cost YOU A Nutritious Diet for All Ages. Keep Horlick’s Always on Hand Orick Lunch; Home or Oflicc. Adkms Prmtmg Co. 66 Church St. HOSIERY THE IDEAL CHRISTMAS GIFTS — Largest Stock in this City— THE FAMOUS DANIEL GREEN COMFY SLIPPERS For Men, Women and Children UNUSUAL VALUES IN MEN’S —BROWN KID SLIPPERS— Our Grade Is the Kind Your Are Not Ashamed to Give. MAKE THIS A RED CROSS CHRISTMAS