The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-10-25
STANDARDS, WAGES AND PRICES
What Non.Partisan investigation has to
Offer on These Points
ELL Strand, GALVESTON.

! What NoD.Partisan Investigation has tc
Offer on These Points,
Washington, Oct. 24.-The bureau OF
| Statistics OF the state department has
| just completed a volume of topical in
terest entitled Money and Prices OF
Foreign Countries" being series of re-
ports upon the currency system of var
ious nations in their relation to prices OF
| commodities and wages OF labor
This work has been in preparation for
months past. On July % last, Secretary
| Clney sent an Identical letter of inetruc-
tons to all United States diplomatic and
consular officers, calling for explicit in
formation On the subjects embraced IN
f.; der the general head above stated. They
were instructed to tell of the standard of
value in their respective countries, the
amount of money in circulation per cap
| itas the proportion of gold, silver and
paper and the amount of reserves, the
! effect of existing systems on manufac-
turing industries and rates Of labor, the
value of agricultural exports and the
minting practices.
The reviews were to cover the ten
years period between 1856 and 1896 and
the figures were TO be official whenever
possible. The result of this is volume
Of 274 pages in which each country is
treated in detail.
Annexed is a summary OF the findings
prepared by Frederick Emery. chief of
the bureau of statistics of the state de-
partment, in which he says:
Two important facts are TO be estab-
lished, viz:
'One. that there has been general
decline in the prices Of commodities, es-
pecially in certain raw products,
throughout the world. 1t is claimed on
one hand that this decline in prices is due
to scarcity of money, and on the other
hand that it is to be attributed to pro-
gress in invention and increased pro-
duction. both of raw materials and man
ufactures, causing keener competition,
with the inevitable accompaniment of
low prices. 1t will be noted that prices
have been steadier for articles which
could be most profitably exported for
gold and that sharp fluctuations due TO
local scarcity of product. have occurred
in such articles az wheat and corn, in
which the prices have been generally
downward in the markets of the world
Two, that there has been a general
advance in wages, especially marked in
the leading industrial countries, all of
which have either a single gold stand
ard or a double standard with a gold
reserve
These statements are supported by
table which is annexed, showing the fol-
lowing facts:
Great Britain, single. shows a general
decline in prices Of 9 per cent and an
advance in wages. except farm figures,
which are lower.
Belgium. double standard: decline IN
prices; no change in wages.
France. double standard; decline in
prices. except beet sugar; slOw but reg
ular advance in wages.
Germany. single gold: decline m CO
reals, pork and certain raw products:
increase in beef and many lines OF man |
ufactured goods; general advance in !
wages.
Austria. gold. limited silver: general |
decline in prices; advance in wages.
Italy. double standard: general de- \
cline in prices. especially in the case OF 1
farm labor
MEXICO. nominally double. actually |
silver: no change as to food products not |
imported; advance in prices Of imported 1
articles and coffee. meat and sugar: un-
skilled labor unchanged: advance II
skilled labor.
Costa Rica and Colombia. silver: in
crease IN prices; increase in wages as
measured IN silver and paper
The United States. double standard:
general decline il prices; general ad-
vance n wages UP 10 1897
This latter statement is based upon
ne senate finance committee reports OF
he fifty-second congress
For comparative purposes. tables are
supplied shoEgln in detail prices and
wages IN the United States. much OF the
being obtained from the
bureau OF statistics Of the treasury. cen
lie committee reports and other off,