Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-08-09
PrOsneritY to Order.

Prosperity to Order.
There is Il great controversy going on
between the nonpartisan statisticians
in private life and those who are EN-
plOycd in the government service us to
the relative cost Of living and the
wages paid for the past ten years. The
government statisticianS are getting
considerably the worst of the argu-
ment. for their figures are shown To be
totally unreliable i'll many important
matters. In fact, the government fig
ureS have been diSprOycd by the vast
difference between those furnished by
two different departments on the same
subject. For instance. according TO the
agricultural department figures there
are over 12,OO0.OOO more sheep in the
United States than the census figures
show for the same ycar-to wit. 1899.
The figures for the hay crop were even
farther apart. The bureau of statistics
publishes Dun's index figures showing
the cost of living To have Increased 10
per cent. The bureau of labor pub
fishes figures To show the increase has
been only 1G per cent There is no doubt
that the bureau Of labor tries to bolster
up protection 10y a scientific plan of adj
dition or subtraction or division.
Secretary Shaw in Il speech the other
day promised that figures from the
highest authority were forthcoming
that would prove that the rise in wages
had more than kept up with the in
creased cost of living. Carroll -. Wright
and the expert statisticianS of the bu-
reau of labor are now ut work on these
figures and will doubtless prove what
Secretary Shaw and the Republican
leaders desire to have proven. \ gov
eminent StatiStician that cannot prove
by his figures what the politicians want
to show would soon find his salary re-
duced or his place given to another. 1t
is safe to predict that these coming
statistics will show that those who are
earning wages are getting more each
day in proportion to the cost of living
than they have i'll the past-that is
that after paying all the bills for ne
ceSsiticS there is more left for luXuries
or To put into the savings bank.
Now. Mr.. Wright and his bureau Of
labor may prove the increase on paper.
but those who earn the wages and OK
pend them can give more accurate sta
tistics than all the statisticians that are
in the employ of the government.
Every one who has To rely on Il limit
ed income is feeling the pinch of high
prices. for there is scarcely an article
of necessity, from beef to collins. that
is not controlled by trusts and the
price of which has not been increased
enormously. Indeed. buns index fig
uroS. mentioned above. which are aC-
knOwlcdEcd TO be the most fair and re-
liable of any published, show that the
cost of living has advanced since 1897
10 per cent. Have wages increased in
like manner. or more, as Secretary
Shaw claims to have shown by the
highest authority" The surplus left
after paying necessary expenses is the
test of prosperity. and that can only be
settled by each individual or family.
If there IS surplus, then you have rea-
sonablc prosperity. If you are Scrimp-
ing and buying the cheapest and poor
est and can then only just make both
ends meet, all the Shaws and WrightS
cannot make you feel you are prosper
Gus.
When the Republican spellbinders
fash these wonderful figures as from
Aladdin'S lamp at YOU this fall you may
feel prosperous for awhile under the
spell of their oratory. but after the
dance is over. the lights are out and
yOu think it all over. that feeting view
OF prosperity has flown. rs with the
owner OF the beautiful lamp when he
had lost it. as told in the Arabian
Nights" Then. rs You lie upon your
husk mattress. if you are poor or your
luxurious couch. if you are rich. You de
eide upon the ticket you will vote and
your chances of being most comfortable
with Roosevelt high prices and prom
ises or Parker and reasonable prices
and true prosperity.