Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1904-11-03

such a collection. 1t Is, however obvl-
GUS that the workingman does not buy
his food at wholesale. 1t Is therefore,
clearly wrong TO compare the working
mans wages with wholesale prices. The
Democratic Text Book earnedly dis
courses on tie stability Of wholesale
prices, while as n matter OF fact II Is
recognized by all authorities on prices
that wholesale prices are exceedingly
sensitive and that retail prices are more
stable, never reaching relatively as hlgh
or as low levels as the former. But
leaving aside the question OF stablllty, II
is the retail price which the ordinary
consumer is compelled TO pay, and whlch,
therefore, dscloses the more accurately
the cost of living Further it Is stated
in this Bulletin of the Bureau OF Labor
that these retail prices were secured
directly from the books Of sales or over
300 retail merchants--that these prices
represent actual sales to consumers eN-
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 contrbut-
ing the data are such as are largely
patronized by the working classe 1t is
understood that these prices will be pub
lished 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 as to the integrity Of their
data.
AS the final court, the Democratic
managers suggest that the whole mat
ter of cost of living be left to the house
wives of the country. They do not per-
haps recall the statement made in the
criticised Bulletin that over $4,000 fam
ilios contributed TO the report-that the
bureau has practically done already what
is suggested-left the matter to the
wives of over $4,000 representative work
ingmen.
Full of Misstnte IN ents.
The criticism of the wage data APP
pears to be quite as futile as that of the
figures for cost OF living. 1t is full
of Measurements 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 fail to disclose the falsity of
the premises upon which the entire criti-
cism as to method is based. 1t has been
charged in some quarters that the in
crease of 1873 per cent. in wages shown
by the bureau Is greater than is actually
the case, because the wages which form
the basis of the report represent highly
unionized centers, where wages have
been increased most rapidly. This charge
Is readily refuted by comparing the Bull
letin wages with the average of the mini
mum union wages shown for the same
occupations, as compiled by the Secre-
tary of the Building Contractors Coun-
Gil of Chicago, H., and published by the
Building Employers Association of New
York City. Bearing in mind that the
union wages quoted are minimum wages
and that the actual union wages would
average considerably higher the COM
parisons in a few occupations are as fol-
lows: Minimum union wages of masons
in 20 cities average 81 cents per hour,
while the average of the bureau is not
quite 40 cents; minimum union wages
OF bricklayers in 20 cities average 57H
cents per hour, while the average of
the bureau IS 54A cents; minimum
union wages Of structural iron workers
in % cities average 46& cents per hour,
while the average of the bureau is less
than Az cents; minimum union wages
Va PlulhDSio All so CllltS uNtIuSt II
cents per hour, while the average of the
bureau is 43M cents. These examples
might be multiplied. but those given are
sufficient to show that the averages OF
the 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
n,,f,, EnIl T.,
secured by the bureau by the collection
of its figures from strongly unionizet
centers is readily refuted by the above
facts.
The principal charges have been men
tioned-the minor ones are equally un
warranted and unsupported by the facts
The report of the bureau represents the
sum Of patient and painstaking investi
CATION of nearly three years, and its per
manent value cannot be lessened or OBJ
secured by partisan attacks. Its valu,
as scientific study of economic condi
tons and as a contribution to the some
what meagre statistics of wages and cos
of living has already been recognized
both at home and abroad. The accurac,
and excellence of the reports of th
bureau OF the government have neve
been seriously questioned during it's eigh
teen years of existence. Under the abb
and conservative management of Com
missioner Wright, it has always merit
ed its reputation of being a non-parti
san office for the collection and presen
tation of facts, and so far as can b
seen from careful examination of il
latest report, the charges made for pan
tsan effect will not warrant the with
drawal Of the confidence of the public
Olney and Clevelnnd's Monumeutu
Brass.
The Democratic donkey is trying t
dance into power over the graves {
United States soldiers who died for til
freedom of Cuba. The result is alread
apparent. Gross stupidity could go l.
further than Richard Olney vcntured
his recent sDeech Grover Clnvnlond