Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-10-08
FALL OF PRICES.
Not Due to Appreciation Of Gold, But to
Cheaper Cost Of Production.


Hon. David r. Wells. author of ERE
cent Economic Changes and the
greatest American authority on thu
cause of falling prices, has full page
article on this subject in the New York
Tribune Of September Z. He finds that
there has been universal fall in prices,
averaging 80 or 40 per cent, since 1879,
but that it is only in this country that
the fall is attributed to the demoneti-
zation of silver. Continuing, he says
in part:
Granting, as every intelligent person
must, that the recent universal decline
in prices cannot be due to any local
agency, but must be attributed to some
universal influence, it is claimed that
such an influence is to be found in an
appreciation in thevalue or purchasing
power Of gold, owing to it's limited and
insufficient supply, and also that this
decline in prices followed the so-called
demonstration of silver in some coun-
tries, and the closing of the minis in
other countries to it's coinage.
The appreciation of gold, helped by
an alleged enforced scarcity of silver,
and decline in price seem, therefore.
to stand to each other in the relation Of
cause and effect, and the cause Of the
advocates of silver has accordingly at
the outset much OF plausibility. But
FEASIBILITY is not proof, nor assumption
truth, as is stril1ingly illustrated by the
claim of Rev. Jasper, pastor of the
First colored church in Richmond, Va,
that ''the sun do move" and the eart!,
"do stand STILL" and who has more OF
seeming facts in support of his faith
than can be adduced by the advocates
of the gold appreciation theory-for
cannot everybody with eyes see the sun
move up every morning in the east and
move down every evening in the west !?
And if the earth moves 10 miles every
second, rs the astronomer bugs tell us,
would not every movable thing fly off
it's surface as mud does from revolv
ing carriage wheel? And as nothing
does fly off, is it not certain that the
earth stands still?
Investigation in the case of Rev.
Jasper and the advocates of the gold APP
probation theory will, however, lead to
different conclusions. It is to be noted,
in the first place, that the advocates Of
the latter theory, in stating what they
assert to be the truth. never express
themselves other than generally, in all
that has been written or spoken in sup
port Of the gold theory on either side Of
the Atlantic.
No one has ever been able to name n
single commodity that has notably de-
clined in price within the last 30 years
and satisfactorily proved, or even at
tempted to prove, that such decline was
due to the appreciation Of gold And
the reason for such default is that it
cannot be done
On the other hand, not a single COM
modify that has notably declined in
price within this time can be named in
respect to which clear, abundant and
specific evidence cannot be adduced in
proof that this decline has been due to
decreased cost of production or distri-
button or to changes in supply or de-
maLd occasoncd by wholly fortuitous
circumstances.
Nobody. Furthermore, has ever risen
to explain the motive which has i'm
PEELED the honest sellers of nlerchan-
disc all over the world during the last 25
years to take lower prices for their
goods in the face of an uneNampled
abundance Of capital and remarkably
low rates Of interest, except for enc o.
both of two "REMINISCENCES Of supply
or diminished deE1cnd. HES anyone
ever attempted to explain how it has
happened that during the recent period
Of the fall Of prices the worlds stool: Of
money, and especially of silver. EelG been
constantly increasing.
Is it rot plain that q phenomenal &c
cline of prices in two parts Of the world
with entirely different monetary condi-
lions. must have had other causes than
a demonstration Of silver in the United
States. which took place, if it ever did,
comparatively short time ago (rcpeal
of the Sherman act in 1899, and wlich
has not prevented nearly $C0o.c09,CC0
Of silver credit money from circulating
in the country at it's full nominal vallioo
That the price Of labor II measured in
gold has not declined. but increased in
marked degree everywhere il the civ
ilized world during the last quarter of
century, has been already commented
on: hence, if the purchasing power CT
geld has increased during this period a
given amounted it would have purchased
nlorc labor and not less. or what is
The same thing, wages would lave fallen,
which they have notdone.
Measured by the price OF labor, gold
has unquestiornbly deprecated, and re-
cent careful examinations indicate that
the ratio Of its decline has been from 1CO
in 1878 to sc in 1893. Measured also Ly
the decline in the rate of interest en-
such established gold-paying securities
as British consols, the ratio has been
from 100 in 1870 to IS in in 1896. Can
anybody suggest a better measure for
testing this issue?
Has any one ever endeavored to eN-
plair how an appreciation Of gold has
reduced the cost of railroad ard water
transportation to the extent Of more
than Is per cent. within the last 90 years.
although the wages of employees have
notably advanced during the same
period?