The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-11-04
LABOR BULLETIN IGNORED
Ia Order to Make Political Capital an1
Also to Misrepresent Conditions
and Deceive VOters-Cam.
paign Textbook Trickery.

"a ASA
disposition on the part of the managers
of the Democratic campaign to dlscredlt
the report on wages and cost Of living
made by the Bureau of Labor in its July
Bulletin (No. 53). In view of the repu-
tation Of COMMISSIONS Wright for abso-
Lutte fairness in the collection and pres
entation of statistics it is of some in
terest at this time to review his report
in the light OF the indignant criticisms
which it has brought forth, and it may
be said at the outset that a careful ex-
animation OF the report reveals the some
what remarkable fact that practically
every criticism made has been answered
in the Bulletin itself. Indeed, it would
almost appear that the compilers of the
Text Book either did not make use Of
the Bulletin or had no desire to be con-
vinced OF the truth OF the figures pub
Iished therein. and that their insinua-
tons and clumsy misstatements OF tact
were made for the purpose of mislead-
to the most specific OF the somewhat
vague charges that are made.
1t is first charged that the report pub
tished in the Bulletin was Quoting the
Text Book prepared ostensibly as an
official document, but in reality, it seems,
for the special use OF the Republican
Campaign Committee" The "well-nigh
conclusive" evidence submitted IN sup
port of this charge consists of I state
ment by Secretary Shaw in U last
that such a report would be published.
AS a matter of fact, it had been known
to the public for several years that the
Bureau Of Labor was engaged in collect
ing data for such a report and the pOr-
ton of the report relating to cost OF liv-
ing was actually published in Bulletin
~ as early as November. 19O3-nearly
eight months previous to Secretary
Shaw's statement.
Not What Democrats Wanted.
1t is clearly stated in the Bulletin
itself that the investigation was begun
ia the winter Of 10OO-19O1, and without
doubt the records OF the bureau and
the testimony OF hundreds Of manufac-
turers whose pay rolls were examined
would have proved the truth Of the state
ment, had the truth been desired in Dem
| ocratic quarters. But no-for political
| reasons, the facts disclosed were not
pleasing, and it seemed necessary to
adopt some method, apparently n
| method that would detract from an ex-
hibit OF a remarkable condition OF indus
trial depression was desired. Conclusive
evidence is at hand that the gathering
OF these statistics was begun in the win
ter OF 1900 1901. and that they were
not cooked up" for the occasion -
charged. but it is not to be expected
that this absurd charge will be with
drawn, although as a matter Of fact the
figures as TO wages aud cost OF living
referred to have been ccrroborated by an
dependent Investigations which have been
concluded by the State bureaus Of sev-
eral important States.
1t is charged also that by giving equal
weight to unimportAnt articles Of con-
sumption and articles OF prime neces-
sity an unduly small increase in cost Of
living is secured. 1t is gravely ASSERTED
that nutmegs. pepper. alum. etc.. are
given equal weight with such important
articles as lard, beet, eggs, -four, etc.
This charge might. indeed, be ~convinc-
ing il it contained even Z slight element
Of truth. Unfortunately for the criticism,
however, the Bulletin itself states that
all articles Of God are weighed exactly
according to the amount consumed in the
average w~orkingman's family. In this
Bulletin the exact quantities are given
and the method clearly explained, 20
that the charge can only be construed -
a deliberate attempt to mislead the vot-
ers OF the country and not IS an error
on the part Of the compiler Of the text
book. As q matter Of fact the mooe
careful search Of Bulletin So shows that
the ~unimportant articles referred TO, such
as putty. nutmegs, alum, pepper. ETC.,
are not even mentioned therein. These
articles are found, however, among tho
26O articles entering into a index Of
wholesale prices which has been publish
ed annually by the bureau for the past
three years, but this index has no con-
~nection whatever with the report on cost
OF living. One pauses to wonder &C the
fact that the Democratic managers ars
so lacking in U as to adopt The
clumsy trick of injecting figures frou
another report into Z discussion OF the
report on cost Of living, and pretend tina,
they were a part Of the latter report. II
must be assumed hat in this section
| there was the studied intention TO mis
represent and convey an impression e
the public utterly contrary to the truth
and entirely unwarranted by the facts
The entire portion Of the Text Book un
der the caption "Absurdity 81 Repubh
can Averages (pages ia and 125), anl
much that follows on pages 126 and 127
is OF the character just mentioned.
A Ludicrous Complaint.
The further complaint that the figure
for cost OF living are based ON retaI
prices instead Of wholesale can only i
understood by assuming. that the use q
the latter would have given the Dems
cratic campaign managers ! little les
discomfort. Bulletin 50 clearly exrlaiu
the reasons for the use Of retail sprice
as a basis for cost Of living In prefeI
ence to the Wholesale. II il true th,
wholesale prices have been .used 1t tim
to indicate the trend of cost of lisin,
but they are considered 81 scooomis
as unreliable for the purpose Of indica
ing the extent OF the increase on j
crease. Until the present day investig
ton BY the nureau Of Labor no RECORD
of retail prices COVERING d conside
able pefied had ever hean collected, o.
Ing t. ths very great sxp1ass OF makir