Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-18

least enueavor to show, that the prices OF
commodities in the United States, whether
considered by wholesale or by retail, were
enormously increased by the passage of
the Mckinley act and the agitation which
preceded it, and that the cost of living in
the United States, giving to each one of
these articles its proper degree of impor.
tance in expenditures for consumption,
was increased during the period covered
by this investigation more than SzS5, ,000,-
900, and that over S1S5, 200, 900 of that in
crease occurred after the passage of the act
of 1890
Iventure to make the statement, which
] think nobody can refute, that very
large proportion of the increase in prices
of manufactured articles and in the cost Of
living which occurred before the passage
of that act was on account of the fact that
it was pending in congress with an almost
absolute knowledge on the part of the pro-
ducers of protected articles everywhere
that it would be passed and become q law.
/ propose to show, in the second place,
that the rates of wages in fifteen substan-
italy unprotected industries in this coun-
try, selected by the committee, were in
creased during the period covered by the
investigation. and that during the same
period the rates of wages in fifteen pro-
tected industries in the United States, also
selected by the committee, fell, and that
the fall was greater after the passage of
the Mckinley bill than it was during the
whole period preceding it's passage
Unless the 215 articles thus selected by
the committee are fairly representative of
the total quantity of articles consumed by
the people, our investigation is worth but
little, so far as it attempts to ascertain the
cost of living. 1t would of course be
valuable to show the course of prices on
those M5 articles; but l repeat, unless they
fairly represent all the articles which enter
into consumption. the investigation is of
but little value so far as it attempts to
state the effect of increase in prices upon
the cost of living.
THE senator here presented elaborated
tables showing trick in the committees
method of proving a decline in prices; it
took prices at date in 1889, when they had
risen in anticipation of the Mckinley bill,
and at another in 1891, when they were at
the lowest He added:
To go no farther back to find the influ-
ence of the Mckinley act upon the retail
prices of commodities, we find that from
and including Oct. l, 1890, until June 1,
1891, the prices increased as follows: On
Oct l. 1890, the increase was 81 ,333, 1888 over
the prices on Sept. l. on Nov. l, 1890, the
increase was S3,416,666; on Dec. l, $780,
0O0 on Jan. l, 1891, it was 10,033, 1888; on
Feb. l, 1881, it was 81 ,0SS, 1888; on March 1,
1891, it was Sl1 ,0S6, $685. on April it was
$12,666, ,666; on May it was ss,750,OO0, and
on June l it W rs S3,666,666.
What the People Spend.
Mr.. President there have been many at
tempts made TO ascertain the total annual
expenditures of the people Of the United
States for articles of consumption. Mr..
Edward Atkinson, . gentleman who has
given this subject great deal of thought,
estimates from our census reports and
other data that OF the total population of
65. .0O0 600 people in the United States 49,
900, 900 are engaged in what are called gain
full occupations, earning wages, or salaries,
and that the average annual income Of
these 23,000,oo0 people, upon which they
and all the other people of the United
States depend for support, is 5000, making
for the year S13,sO0 100000. Deducting
per cent. from that for federal, state and
municipal taxes and 10 per cent. for saw
ings or additions to the permanent wealth
of the country, there is left S11 $50 900, 600
to be expended by the people for their sup
port.
The Hon. D. A. Wells, by different pro-
cess, arrives at the conclusion, after de-