The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-05-29
CHANGES IN PRICES AND WAGES.
Telephone No. 60.

Sf1ANdbo TN fttiCEo AMI w Adbo'
Secretary Carlises speech to the Sound
Money Convention at Memphis contained
most impotant statement in regard to
the course Of prices and wages Of labor
In the United States during more than
half a century. Mr.. Carlisle was mem
Der of the senate subcommittee which
investigated this subject, and therefore
Speaks with authority as to It's conclu
bfons He said the committee selected
232 articles in common use, which II was
agreed constituted the bulk of the con-
sumption and expenditures of the people,
and separated these into eight classes or
groups. II WAS found that for 1892
the prices OF articles used for food, taking
them altogether, had fallen less than
10 per cent since 1873, while the prices of
clothes and clothing had fallen 80 per
cent, fuel and light nearly "a per cent,
metals and implements 50 per cent lum-
ber and building materials nearly 20 per
cent, drugs and chemicals 81 per cent,
house furnishing goods q per cent, and |
miscellaneous articles 10 per cent.
At the time the investigation was made.
In 1929, articles of food stood nearly
4 per cent higher than in 1860. clothes and
clothing 10 per cent lower, fuel and light
ing per cent lower metals and irnple-
ments Is per cent lower, lumber and
house-bulldlng materials % per cent high
er. house-furnishing goods 80 per cent
lower and miscellaneous per cent lower.
The results of the investigation establish
three facts which have important bearing
on the contention OF the free silverttes.
The prices of ARTICLES of food which are
the product of farms, gardens, orchards,
and dairies Of the country were per
cent higher than in 1860, long before the
silver legislation which is complained of,
The fall in the prices of these farm pro-
ducbs since 1873 was much less than In the
prices of the commodities the farmers
have to buy with what they receive
for their produce, and the reductions in
prices have not been uniform either as
TO particular articles or groups of arti-
rles. Therefore they cannot be attributed
10 one and the same cause-to the appre-
,latton OF gOld for instance.
Cotton and wheat are the commodities
most frequently referred to by those
Who contend that the fall In prices Is due
o the appreciation OF gold, but there Is
rothlng In the methods of producing those
rtlcles, or in transporting or selling
hem, which would make the "dpprecla-
ion Of gold" affect the prices OF other
ommoditles produced by our people,
10th have been seriously affected by the
normous increase in their production
lnee 1872 which was the last crop year s
receding the legislation in regard 10
liver. The production OF cotton In 1895 n
4 was nearly three times that of lS72-'7s, q
nd the wheat crop of 1894 nearly twice
s much. while there has also been an
normous increase of production In COM
citing countries (And the prices OF both
re now dslng) Z
Tho one thing that has been less af- /
'cted by the changes In the relation ba- !
seen supply and demand, by improve
ents in the methods of production and
strlbtttion, and BY the other influences
vat cause fluctuations in prices of COM u
Iodities generally, is labor; and II is by h
II the most important single source Of Il
Icome possessed by our people. The y
vi OF labor in the manufacturing and
echnnical industries for the census year y
50 was ass million dollars, nearly two
nd half times the value OF all the
heat and cotton produced in the coun- d
y. and Il we add TO this the anaDunts I
aid for farm labor and for the many p
ther occupations which eive employment
our people we shall have a sum al
ost tf NOT equal 10 the value OF all our
Hdcultural products. Wages were near .
q per cent higher IN 1872 than in 1860, ~
hich was thirteen years before this sill III
r legislation. and more than per cent = =
cher than In 1873, when that legislation p
IS adopted. These statements alone are "
full and complete refutatlon Of the
n,en,iOn made by "cOln'' in regard TO e
E resarlve cost OF labor and Its pro- a,
cls a. an alleged reason for debasing el
: currency unii, and Mr. carlisle Is
lfsled % the credit OF having stated D
case 90 plainly and conclusively. |