The Delta independent., 1904-11-04
Another Glaring Instance Of
Democratic Juggling with
Government Statistics.
LABOR BULLETIN IGNORED
II Order to Make Political Capital ard
Also to Misrepresent Conditions
and Deceive VOters-Cam.
paigu Textbook Trickery.

An examination of the files Of the
Democratic newspapers for the past few
weeks and of the recently issued Demo-
cratic Campaign Text Book discloses II
disposition on the part of the managers
of the Democratic campaign to discreIit
the report on wages and cost of livin:
made by the Bureau of Labor in its July
Bulletin (No. 53). In view of the repu-
tation Of Commissioner 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 he con
Tinced OF the truth OF the figures pnb-
lished therein. and that their insinua.
tions and clumsy misstatcments OF fact
were made for the purpose OF mislead-
ing the public mind. Let US proceed
TO the most specific Of the somewhat
vague charges that are made.
1t is first charged that the report pub.
lished in the Bulletin was Quoting the
Text BOokl prepared ostensibly as an
ofiicial document. but in reality. it seems.
for the special use OF the Republican
Campaign Committee" The "wRll-niSh
conclusive evidence submitted in sup
port of this charge consists of state.
ment by Secretary Shaw in June last
that such a report would be published.
As n matter OF fact. it had been known
to the public for several years that tho
Bureau Of Labor was engaged in collect
ing data for such report and the por-
tion OF the report relating TO cost Of liv-
ing was actually published in Bulletin
~ as early as November, l0O3--nenrly
eight months previous TO Secretary
Shaws statement.
Not What Democrats Wanted.
1t is clearly stated in the Bulletin
itself that the investigation WAS begun
In the winter OF l9OO-lDOl, and without
doubt the records of the bureau snd
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 hot
pleasing. aud 1t seemed necessary to
adopt some method, apparently any
method that would detrhct from an eS-
hbit OF a remarkable condition Of indus
| trial depression was desired. Conclusive
evidence is at hand that III. gathering
OF these statistics was begun in the win.
ter Of 1900 1901. and that they were
not cooked up for the occasion as
charged, but IL is not to he expected
kb..t ~ H., L. ..-..
drawn, although as a matter Of fact the
figures as to wages and cost of living
| referred to have been ccrroborated by in-
dependent Investigations which have been
| concluded by the State bureaus of sew
| eral important States.
II is charged also thst 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 Kraveiy asserted
that nntmegs, pepper. alum. etc. are
given equal weight with such important
| articles ns lard. beef. eggs. -four. etc.
This charge might. indeed. he convinc-
ing IL 1t contained even n slight element
| of truth. Unfortunately for the criticism.
| however. the Bulletin itself states that
| all articles of food are weighed exactly
| according to the amount consumed in the
average workinEman's family. In this
Bulletin the exact quantities are given
and the method clearly explained. 40
that the charge can only b. construed as
deliberate attempt to mislead the vot-
crs of the country and not as an error
oi, the part of the compiler Of the text
book. As n matter of fact the most
| careful search of Bulletin So shows that
| the uuimportant articles referred to, such
as putty, nutmcgs. alum. pepper. etc.
are not even mentioned therein, Th~s.
| articles are found. however. among the
26O articles entering into an index of
wholesale prices which has been publish
ed annually by the bureau for the pas,
three years. but this index has no con.
nection whatever with the report on cost
! OF living. One pauses to wonder at tho
| fact that the Democratic managers are
so lacking in resource as 10 adopt tn.
| clumsy trick Of injecting figures from
another report into a discussion Of the
| report on cost Of living. and pretend thn /
| they were a part OF the latter report. IL
must he assumed that in thi. section
| there was the studied intention to mis-
| represent and convey an impression to
the public utterly contrary to the truth
| and entirely unwnrrantcd by the facts.
| The entire portion Of the Text Book un-
der the caption "Absurdity OF Republi-
can Averages" tpages 124 and 1851. and
much that follows on pages l26 and l27.
is of the character just mentioned.
A LudIcrsus Complaint.
The further complaint that the figures
for cost Of living are based on retail
prices instead of Wholesale can, only be
understood by assuming that the use OF
the latter would have given the Demo.
cratic campaign managers a little icss
discomfort. Bulletin 80 clearly explains
the reasons for the use OF retail prices
as n basis 70. cost of living in prefer.
ence to the wholesale. II is true thnt
wholesale prices have been used Mt times
to Indicate the trend OF cost Of living.
but they are considered by economist .
as unreliable for the purpose of indicnt.
ing the extent OF the increase or 'c.
| crease. Until the present day invcstiga-
ton by the Bureau OF Labor no records
| Of retail prices covering any consider
able period had ever been collected. ow.
! ing 10 the very grent expense Of making