The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-02
GREAT PROSPERITY.
Shown by a Bulletin Issued by Conn
missioner Wright.

| I,
sioner of labor. he has submitted data
to prove that since the financial de-
preston of 1894 the rate of wages has
increased at a greater rate than the
cost of living. The report is volu-
minous one and shows the most pains
taking research. The increased cost
of living is shown to be 15 and five
tenths per cent, while the increased
wages. per hour, are IS and eight
tenths over 1894.
Tables are submitted which assert
that the wages paid per hour in 1908
were higher than those paid any year
since 1894. 1t is alleged the wages
paid in 1903 were per cent. higher
than in 1902, per cent. higher than
per cent. over 1899, and 16 per cent.
over 1893, 1897 and 1896.
1t is apparent that the bulletin just
issued will become one of the fore
most issues in the campaign. The
had statisticians employed with view
to proving that the percentage of in
crease in the cost of living is more
than twice the percentage of increase
in wages. The Democratic charts
allege that the cost of living for the
wage Garner has increased 81 per
cent. since 1897, while the increase
in the rate of wages is only Is per
cent.
In his keynote speech several weeks
ago Secretary Shaw of the treasury de-
partment asserted that wages had in
| creased at greater rate than the cost
of living and announced that a forth
coming official report would prove the
contention. His statement was attack
ed everywhere by Democratic newspa-
perS and speakers. Today the official
report is at hand and the controversy
between the paid statisticians of the
| Democrats and the official StatiStician
| of the government is already on.
| Mr.. Wright called in person at the
White House to present his report to
| the president The Democrats will, OF
| necessity, charge that the functions of
a department have been proStituted to
serve a political purpose. In numerous
state platforms the Democrats have ar
| raigned the dominant party for legisla-
| ton which has forced an increased cost
| of living. The tariff controversy is di-
rectly involved in the issue which the
| government publicati ton has made acute.
The experts of the department of
commerce and labor. who prepared the
report, submitted it with a full under
| standing that the correctness of the
| figures would be attacked. They assert
| that they never engaged in the prepar-
alton of a bulletin where greater care
was taken and invite a direct and def1n-
| lite answer, rather than a resort to gem
eralitieS. If the figures of the depart
| ment of commerce and labor are-ac-
cepted the greater prosperity OF the
country this year, as compared to any
other, is an established fact. Some
months ago the bulletin was issued
which showed that the increase in
wages from 1880 to 1903 was 1876 per
cent. This bulletin, therefore, showing
the increased cost of living as well, is
the first official attempt at any COM
parison.
The figures of income and expendi
ture furnished in detail by 1857 families
in tnirty-three states, including all the
leading Industrial centers, comprise
the material for the detailed study of
the cost of living. Certain data which
do not enter so much into detail were
collected in regard to the cost of lV-
ing in 25.440 families and the results are
extensively summarized in the full re-
port. The information relating to each
family was secured directly from the
husband or wife, or both, by the per-
sonal visit of a special agent of the
bureau, and the most important lnquiT-
les propounded were those relating to
the earnings of the husband, the wife
and the children, and the expenditures
of the family for housing, fuel, lighting,
food, clothing and other purposes DUR
ing the year.
A most interesting table shows that
the average family in the west has an
Iincome of nearly $50 more than the
while its average expenditure for food
is $50 less than that of the family in
North Atlantic states and only $40 more
than the family in the South Atlantic
states The size of the average western
family is almost one less than that of
the families in other geographical divis-
ions.
This table in part follows:
North Atlantic states-Average size
of 1,415 families, 5.25; average income
per family $834.83; average expenditure
per family, $77S04; average expenditure
for food, $338.10.
North central states-Average size Cd
S21 families, SAG; average income,
SS42. go; average expenditures, $1S5.96;
average expenditure for food, $S21.60.
South Atlantic states-Average size
of 219 families, $50; average income,
$762.7S; average expenditure, $IOO62;
average expenditure for food, $29S.64
South Central States-Average size of
122 families, 5.65; average income, $715.4O;
average expenditures, $500 II; average
expenditure for food, $292.69
Western States-Average size of 80
families, 4.69; average income, sS91.s2;
average expenditure, $751.46; average
expenditure for food, $308.53
United States-Average size of 3
567 families, 5.31; average income, $S27--
10; average expenditures, $768.34; aver
age expenditure for food, $4,000.
The average family consumed during
the year 349.7 pounds of fresh beef at a
family per annum for all food was
1925 80.
The expenditure for food constituted
AZ "a per cent of the cost of living; Tor
housing, including rent and interest on
homes, 14.53 per cent, and for clothing,
14-04 per cent.
In 1896 the average cost of food per
family was $296.74; in 1902, the highest
year. $344.61, and in 1903 it was $342f5
In 1890 wages were 0.3 per cent higher
than the average wages paid during the
ten years from 1890 to 1899. In 1881
they were OF per cent higher. The low
est point reached was in 1894, Wnen
wages were $40 per cent of the average
wages for the ten year period, or, in
other words, 81 per cent lower than
the average for the ten year period.