Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-18

months preceding Oct /, 1889, wholesale
prices had never risen above the normal or
initial point, except in August. and then
they were only 22-100ths of per cent.
higher. In September they were lower
than the initial price, and they never
receded to that point again until August,
1891, a period Of nearly two years, and then
they were only 7-100ths of l per cent be-
low 1t.
The group of "cloths and clothing" Sc
lected by the committee for the purpose of
investigating wholesale prices contains
sixty-two articles in general use among
the people, and on the 1st of December,
1889, when the Fifty-frst congress assem-
bled, the prices of only five of them had
advanced since the beginning of the pc
riod. The prices OF thirteen of them had
fallen, and forty-ive of them had neither
advanced nor declined. The tariff act
passed the house Of representatives on the
21st day of May, 1890, and by the LIST of
June following the prices of sixteen of the
articles embraced in this group had in
creased, and any one who will examine the
report of the committee will see that from
the 1st day of August, 1890, the articles
embraced in this important group, taking
them all together, never fell to their oriei-
nal or initial price until Sept. 1, 1891, the
last day Of the investigation, and then
they were only 2-100ths of per cent. lower.
Increase in Wholesale Prices.
Now, Mr.. President, by the use of this
table, which is part of the unanimous
report of the committee, and assuming as
before that the annual expenditure for
consumption is $4,000, 100000 and the
monthly expenditure $S93, 1886, 1888, we can
ascertain without difficulty the effect
which the increase in wholesale prices
would have had upon the people of the
United States if the whole quantity of
commodities consumed during the period
covered by the investigation had been
sold by the wholesale dealers during that
time. That thewhole quantity consumed
was not actually sold at wholesale during
that time is shown by the fact that the ag-
gregate increase in retail prices or in the
cost of living did not equal the aggregate
increase in wholesale prices.
On the 1st day of October, 1880, upon the
basis just stated, which is less than the
total expenditure for consumption, the in
crease over the initial price was S5,150OOO;
on the 1st day Of November, 1889, it was
H,833, 1888, and on the 1st day of December.
1889, it was S12, ,5S3, 1888. Congress met OIL
the first Monday in December, the commit.
tee on ways and means was appointed, and
1t was soon we'll known to the country sub
stantially what it's policy would be in ref
erence to tariff legislation, and on the 1st
day Of January, 1890, the increase of whole
sale prices over the prices prevailing at the
beginning of the investigation was S1S,-
10000. The next month it was $50, 400 900,
and then there was slight decline from
that figure until Sept. 1, 1890, when the in
crease w,ls S24, 100000 The Mckinley bill
was approved Oct. l, 1890, and from that
date the increase of wholesale prices con-
tinued to grow larger month by month un-
til on the 1st day of April, 1891, it was $685.
416,666. But will not detain the senate
by further statement of these increases
In detail, but will insert the following
table, which will show that the total gross
increase from Oct 1, 1889, to July 1, 1891.
amounted to the sum of s445, ,61S, 1856, but
during the months of July and August,
1891, there were small decreases, amount.
ing to sS,10S,333. which, being deducted,
leaves a net increase of s442, ,510,552.
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