A family of two, living in the heart of Times Square district of New York City, far
removed from the source of production of foods, took careful inventory of the cost of a
simple breakfast, with this astonishing result:
Articles of food; Cost at the breakfast
table:Grape Fruit Juice, (From Florida) .02Rippled Wheat Breakfast food (Kansas
Farm).02
Tea (From China) .02Bananas (From South America) .02½Toasted Bread (From Kansas Farm) .01Fresh Country Eggs (From Utah) .07Sugar (From Cuba, or Utah) .00½Butter and Cream (From New England) .03------------
Grand total .20It is not very difficult to obtain FOOD in a country where two people can have breakfast
consisting of all they want or need for a dime apiece! Observe that this simple breakfast
was gathered, by some strange form of magic (?) from China, South America, Utah,
Kansas and the New England States, and delivered on the breakfast table, ready for
consumption, in the very heart of the most crowded city in America, at a cost well
within the means of the most humble laborer.
The cost included all federal, state and city taxes! (Here is a fact the politicians did not
mention when they were crying out to the voters to throw their opponents out of office
because the people were being taxed to death).
[b] SHELTER. This family lives in a comfortable apartment, heated by steam, lighted
with electricity, with gas for cooking, all for $65.00 a month. In a smaller city, or a more
sparsely settled part of New York city, the same apartment could be had for as low as
$20.00 a month.
The toast they had for breakfast in the food estimate was toasted on an electric toaster,
which cost but a few dollars, the apartment is cleaned with a vacuum sweeper that is
run by electricity. Hot and cold water is available, at all times, in the kitchen and the
bathroom. The food is kept cool in a refrigerator that is run by electricity. The wife curls
her hair, washes her clothes and irons them with easily operated electrical equipment,