Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-11-04


US that the workinsman does not buy
Ais food at wholesale. II IL. therefore.
clearly wrong To compare the working
mans wages with wholesale prices. The
Democratic Text Book iearnedly dis
courses on It's stability Of wholesale
prices. while ss . matter OF fact. u II
recognized by all authorities on prices
chat Wholesale prices are exceedingly
sensitive aud that retail prices are more
stable. never reaching relatively as high
or a. low levels as the former. But.
leaving aside the question of stability. II
is the retail price which the ordinary
consumer Ii compelled to pay. and which.
therefore. discloses the more accurately
che cost Of living. Further. Il Is stated
In this Bulletin of the Bureau of Labor
chat these retail prices were secured
directly from the books OF sales OF over
COO retail m~rchants-hat these prices
represent actual sales to consumers ex-
tending over each month Of the fourteen
year period covered-that they represent
every important center OF industry In the
country-and that the stores contribut-
Ing the data are such a. are largely
patronixcd by the working classes. II ~
understood that these prices will be pub
Ashci In the greatest detail for each city
covered In the Eighteenth Annual Re-
port of the Bureau. now In press-an
evidence that the officials of the bureau
have no doubt ss to the integrity Of their
data.
As the final court. the Democratic
managers suggest that the whole mat
ter Of cost Of iivin. he left to the house,
wives OF the country. They do not per-
haps recall the statement made In the
criticised Bulletin that over 25.OOO fam
tiies contributed to the rrport-that the
bureau has practically done already what
is susg-sted-l-ft the matter TO the
wives of over 25.00o representative work
Lnxmen.
vsii Of Misstats assss-
The criticism of this wage data ap.
pears TO be quite as futile as that OF the
figures. for cost of living. II is full
OF misstatemrnts of fact. as may be seen
BY reference to the Bulletin itself. The
method OF averaging imputed TO the
bureau was not used. Even the most
cursory examination Of the Bulletin
could not fall to disclose tho faisity OF
Shc premises upon which the entire criti-
cism as to method IL based. II has been
charged In some quarters that the in-
crease Of 1873 per cent. In wages shown
BY tho bureau IL greater than IL actually
the case. because the wages which form
the basis Of the report represent highly
unionixed ccntrrs. where wages have
been Increased most rapidly. This charge
IL readily rrfut~d by comparing the Bul.
lctin wages with the average OF the mini.
mum union wages shown for the same
occupations. as compiled by tho Sccrc-
sary Of tho building Coniractors' Coun.
eli of Chicago. ILL.,. and published by the
Building Employer Association Of New
York City. Bearing In mind that the
union wages quoted are minimum wages
aud that the actual union wages would
average considerably higher. the com.
parisons In few occupations are ns fol-
lows: Minimum union wages Of mnsons
In % cities average 81 cents per hour.
while the average of the bureau In not
quite 45 cents: minimum union wages
OF brickiayrrs In - cities average 5Th
cents per hour. while the average OF
the bureau Is ga. cents: minimum
union wages Of structural iron workers
IN 81 cities average 5GE cents per hour.
while the average Of the bureau IL less
than @1L cents: minimum union wages
Of plumbers In ~ cities average 91As
cents per hour. while the average Of the
bureau IL l3x cents. These examples
might be multiplied. but those given are
sufficient to show that the averages Of
thc bureau are considerably lower than
the average of minimum union wages,
and are. therefore. fairly representative
of both union and non union labor In the
occupations covered. The charge that
an unjustiHablc increase In wages Is
secured by the bureau by the collection
Of Its figures from strongly unionixcd
centers Is readily refutcd by the above
facts.
The principal charges have been men.
tioncd-thc minor ones are equally un.
warranted and unsupported by the facts.
The report Of the bureau represents the
sum OF a patient and painstnking investi.
CATION OF nearly three years. and Its per-
mancnt value cannot he le-scncd or oh
~curcd by partisan attacks. Its value
a. scientific study Of economic condi-
tions and as q contribution to the some
what meagrc statistics of wages and cos,
of living has already been recognized
both nt home and abroad. The accuracy
and excellence of the reports OF this
bureau OF the government have never
been seriously questioned during its cigh.
teen years Of existence. Under the able
and conservative management of Com
missioner Wright. II has always merit.
ed its reputation of being non-parti.
enn Office for the collection and prescn-
tation of facts. and 50 far "a can he
latest report, the charges made for par
tisan effect will not warrant the with
drawnl OF the confidence of the public.
oiney and Cievciaud's Monumental
Brass.
The Democratic donkey Is trying to
dance Into power over the graves OF
United States soldiers who died for the
freedom of Cuba. The result Is already