Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-06-04

Other AbsurdIties.
Carroll d. Wright, commissioner of
labor, is still doing his best to keep
wages up and the cost of living down.
Much depends upon him this year. II
wages and the prices of farm products
can be well sustained. while trust
prices and the cost OF living can be
kept within reasonable limits, the pres
ent administration may be continued in
power. The farmers and wage earners,
who have the votes, must somehow be
made to feel as contented and satisfied
as possible. Wright's statistics are
very soothing and will allay any Ordi-
nary discomfort.
An examination OF his latest pre-
scriptfon of statistics. the March $500
bulletin of the bureau of labor on
wholesale prices, shows him to be as
clear a juggler of figures as ever, but
that he is unable to contend success
fully against overwhelming odds.
His report shows that average whole
sale prices for the year 1908 were %
per cent higher than for the year 1897.
This Is an admission that prices have
gone up % per cent since the trust era
began in 1897 with the passage of the
Dingley bill. AS prices for 1897 were
at their lowest about July /, just be-
fore the passage of the Dingley bill.
and as they are now higher than at any
time in 1903, we may safely conclude
even from Wright's figures that the
cost of living is now 80 or So per cent
= VyrIr Ac
a matter of fact Dun's tables, which
are scientifically constructed, show
that the cost Of living was on March 1,
1904, As per cent higher than on July ],
1897.
But 1t is with this last report as n
work OF art, as the handiwork of one
OF the worlds greatest craftsmen, that
we are most concerned. In the first
place, this and his report OF last No
vember on the cost of living are re-
markable for what they do not con-
tain.
The prime and avowed object of
these tables OF prices is to show the
comparative cost of living at different
times. In order to reach a safe and
scientific conclusion not only must all
of the important items of expenditure
be considered, but they must be given
a weight in accordance with their i'm
portance. Mr.. Wright disregards both
these conditions. He not only omits
several of the most important items of
expenditure, but in making his tables
of averages he puts in nutmegs and
pepper as of equal importance with
fresh beef and eggs.
- "riohf'G a nm
from 260 quotations. Each has the
same weight or Importance as has ev-
cry other single QuotatiOn-that is, he
has taken the average of 260 items.
OF the 260 items quoted seventy six,
or nearly one third, are for clothes and
clothing, although Colonel Wright told
us in his November Q9O3) report that
clothing formed only 14.O4 per cent OF
the cost of living, while only f1fty-four,
or about one-f1fth Of all, were for food,
which, he tells us. form 1854 per cent
of the cost of living of the average
family.
Mr.. Wright desires to please the
farmers by showing a good high aver
age for farm products and the wage
earners by keeping the cost of living as
low as possible. He therefore puts
raw cotton, which shows an increase
in price OF AT per cent, in with farm
products and secured fleece wool,
which shows an increase Of only 81
per cent, In with the cloths and cloth
ing group.
AS showing Mr.. Wright's genius for
figures and for keeping down the cost
of living, we note that nutmegs and
bicarbonate of soda, which show de
cline of nearly 40 per cent for 1903,
are balanced against pork and beans, |
which show an increase OF about 40
ed" 1t is not likely that the average
for nutmegs and soda would pull down |
the average of pork and beans 1 per
cent. AS Mr.. Wright has "wrighted" |
them the average is pulled down |
about 40 per cent. The price OF |
matches. which declined Is per cent, |
affects Mr.. Wright's averages as much |
as does the price of coke, which rose |
Il per cent. The price Of wood screws, |
which declined % per cent, affects his |
averages as much as does the price of |
steel billets, which increased 80 per |
cent, or of corn, which increased p |
per cent OF course IL wood screws |
are quoted once steel bilIets should be |
quoted 100 or 200 times and corn about |
1000 times in order to give them prop |
er weight in making an average.
OF such stuff are Colonel Wright's |
statistics made. On such figures does |
his reputation rest His wage statis-
tics are Of the same order. His CEN
sus statistics of employees is made up
of averages" less than the least num-
Der Of persons employed at any one
time. Mathematical absurdities are
his stock In trade. He deserves great
credit for his ability to maintain his
lead as a statistician and to have his
statistics quoted authoritatively al
most everywhere. He is probably the
only man on earth that could palm of