Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-28
Prosperity to Order.

Prosperity to Order.
There is a great controversy going on
between the nonpartisan statisticians
in private life and those who are EN-
plOycd in the government service rs TO
the relative cost of living and the
wages paid for the past ten years. The
government statisticians are getting
meut. for their figures are shown TO be
totally unreliable in many important
matters. In fact, the government fig
ureS have been disprOved 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 100000 more sheep in the
United States than the census figures
show for the same year-tO Wit. 1899.
The figures for the hay crop We're even
farther apart. The bureau of statistics
publishes Dun's index figures showing
the cost Of living 10 have increased 40
per cent. The bureau Of labor pub
fishes figures to show tie increase has
been only 10 per cent. There is no doubt
that the bureau of labor tries to bolster
up protection by a scientific plan of adj
dition or subtraction or division.
Secretary Shaw in a 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 u. Wright
NJ I.N 81 - I,n I,1
reau of labor are now at work on these
figures and will doubtless prove what
Secretary Shaw and the Republican
leaders desire to have proven. \ gov
ernmcnt statistician that cannot prove
by his figures what the politicians want
to show would soon find his salary re-
Quced or MS praCc given TO another. IL
is safe To predict that these coming
statistics VIII show that those who are
earning wages are getting more each
day in proportion to the cost of living
than they have in the past-that is,
that after paying all the bills for ne
ccssitics there is more left for luXurics
or 10 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 eX-
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 a limit
ed income is feeling the pinch of high
prices. for there is scarcely an article
of necessity from beef to coffinS that
is not controlled by trusts and the
price of which has not been increased
enormously. Indeed, Duns index fig
ureS. mentioned above. which are ac-
| knowledgcd to be the most fair and re-
liable of any published. show that the
cost of living has advanced since 1897
40 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 10y each individual or family.
If there is a surplus, then you have rea-
sonable 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
| flash these wonderful figures as from
! Aladdin's lamp at you this fail 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 fleeting view
Of prosperity has flown, as with the
owner OF the beautiful lamp when he
had lost it. as told in the Arabian
| Nights" Then, as 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.