Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-09-01
TIE ALDRICu REPORT.
TIE COST OF LIVING HAS DECREASED AND
WAGES INCREASED.


WAGES INCREASED.
Fortunately for us all In this discussion
this year you are not to take my opinion or
that of Senator Carlisle, or others who the
oretically discuss these questions, as TO the
general effects following the latest revision
of the tariff / hold in my hand n copy of
senate report No. 9S6 of the session just
closed, known as the Aldrich report on re-
tail prices and wages, though bearing the
name of Senator Aldrich II is the unani-
nous report of subcommittee of the H.
nance committee of the senate, the two
Democrats concurring In II being Senator
Harris, of Tennessee, and Senator Carlisle,
of kentucky. / wish every voter in the
United States could have an opportunity OF
examining this report. IL would dissipate
many delusions that pass current for facts.
This report is the result of an investigation
begun in July, 1891, one of the objects being
TO ascertain the course of prices, retail and
Wholesale, at home and abroad, and was
made in pursuance of senate resolution
passed March 3, 1891. 1t Is only n partial
report, covering mainly retail prices and
wages, and cost Of living. An investiga-
ton into the course of prices and the cost of
living, much more extensive and thorough
than was ever before attempted was insu-
tuted by this inquiry.
The committee determined TO ascertain
the relative prices paid by actual consum-
ers for all articles Of general consumption
at retail in every part of the United States
on the first of each month, from juno, 1889,
TO September, 1891, embracing a period Of
seventeen months prior to the passage of
the act of 1890, and eleven months subso-
qucnt to that date. The quotations were In
all cases secured from actual sales, taken
from the books of merchants in seventy diff
fercnt cities and towns in different states
and territories The places at which quota
a. 1t. a Il Al. A.
view of covering the entire country, geo.
graphically, and including typical CONNER
cial manufacturing and agricultural COM
munities. The prices were secured by the
trained experts of the department of labor
with the greatest care and fidelity.
TOOK 2l5 REPRESENTATIVE ARTICLES.
The list of 2l5 articles on which monthly
prices were thus obtained was carefully Sc
lected by the unanimous action Of the com
mittec as representative articles Of general
consumption, with view of covering every
possible expenditure of n family In the
average condition of life, that is with an In
come of $500 to 81 900 per annum. The re-
suits of this comprehensive and exhaustive
inquiry are contained in this report With
accompanying statements, 1t covers 1880
printed pages and contains more than
1900, 900 different quotations of prices.
The inquiry was thoroughly non-partisan,
and every possible care was taken to give II
a character which would entitle the results
secured the highest weight of authority.
This investigation clearly establishes the
fact that general decline instead Of an
advance has taken place in the prices of
the necessaries Of life and the resulting
cost of living since the adoption Of the act
of 1890
have not time to analyze this report, but
II shows n general decline except in agri-
cultural products. These show general
advance in all cereal products, except hax
seed, of about 33 per cent, and a slight in
crease in the price of meat products, and,
as n whole, an increase of something over
Is per cent in agricultural products.
This report shows that prices for agricul-
tural products for 1891 were higher than for
the year 1890. IL also shows a constant de-
cline, though not great, of all or nearly all
the articles used by the farmer and neces-
sary to be purchased by him, thus showing,
in addition to the actual increase, the in
creased purchasing power of products OF
the farm.
THE COST OF LIVING "A LESS.
II also appears as tho final result, as
shown by all the tables, that the cost of living
of family in ordinary circumstances was
"A of one per cent. less at the end of the
period included in the investigation, Sep.
TENDER LIST, 1891, than it was at the begin
ming in 1889. The same tests of the cost OF
living were made on the first of May this
year at Fall River, at Chicago, and at Du-
buq1e in this state, three cities widely diff
fering in their employments, which shows
a further decline of o. per cent. as com
pared with September, 1891, and 81 per
cent. as compared with June, July and Au-
gust, 1880, all disclosing that the decline in
the cost of living continues, and this In the
face of the fact that the products of the
farm have advanced as have stated during
the same period. Mr.. Aldrich shows in his
speech in the senate grand annual saving
on this basis of 1925, 900, 900.
THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN WAGES.
The investigation discloses that in the
meantime there has been a slight advance
in the wages of labor, measured in money,
in thirty selected occupations, covering a
wide range of productive industries and
occupations. Mr.. Carlisle seeks to break
the force of this by stating that the advance
was chiefly in those occupations not pro-
tected by the tariff, and that they are chief
ly found in the wages OF bricklayers, car
penters and kindred employments not en-
braced in the tariff schedules. He seems
to forget that a given scale of wages in a
country relatively high as compared with
other countries that trades like that of car
penters and bricklayers are most highly
protected, not by law but by the conditions
surrounding them. Frame or brick houses
are not imported, so that the only competi-
ton of carpenters, bricklayers, etc, is in
this country or through immigration, the
last but tribe in comparison with the
whole number employed, whilst the tariff
schedules "a rule cover articles that may
be imported in bales aud boxes, the product
Of competitive labor abroad as well ~ ~