Gilpin observer., 1904-11-03
WAGES AND THE COST OF LIVING.
President Roosevelt Deliberately Seeks
:. 10 Deceive the Public.


favorable comment because of their in
accuracy, none is destined to cause him
more trouble and to result in greater
harm to his canvass than that in
which he alleges that wages have been
increased during the last few years
in greater proportion than the cost
of living has increased. This state
ment has called forth storm of pro-
test, not only from the press. but
among well-informed labor leaders and
political economists.
Nearly every Independent journal
has taken Mr. Roosevelt to task One
Of these, the Philadelphia Public
Ledger, published in the metropolis Of
the strongest protectionist State in the
Union, devotes column and half Of
its space in refuting the Presidents
statement. Mr.. Roosevelt, to quote
him precisely, says:
LAS conclusively shown by the bul-
ietin OF the Bureau OF Labor, the pur-
chasing power of the average wage re-
ceived by the wage-worker has grown
faster than the cost of living"
The Philadelphia Ledger regrets that
it cannot confirm this statement. Ii
says:
More reliable, because more disin-
terested, and more unprejudiced wit
Gesses than Mr.. Roosevelt's Commits
sioner of Labor, have time and again
declared it conspicuously inexact.
Among the disinterested witnesses are
both Bradstreet's and Dun's carefully
compiled reports, and among the un-
prejudiced ones are several prominent
labor leaders. who have testified to the
truth respecting the wage scale of the
one part and the regular quotation Of
the prices of the necessities of life Of
the other part. And the precise testi-
nesses, is directly contrary to the Presi-
dents statement.
"The prices of domestic commodities
have had an average increase from the
lowest standard reached in 1896 Of 81
per cent. No sensible and well-in-
formed man will seriously assert that
since 1896 the average wage rate has in
creased to that extent-more than one
third. There Is no workman in the
land who can testify to the accuracy
OF this. The Presidents contention lie
that the alleged greater proportionate
increase Of the average wage to the
increased cost OF living has been due
TO the benencent protection afforded to
labor by the tariff. Here again the
Presidents position is contested by
labor itself. II is true that the wages
Of artisans and their unskilled helpers
have been materially increased since
1896. but while there have been slight
increases at various times OF the wages
of the so-called protected workmen.
tho aggregate differences have not kept
step with the increase OF the cost Of
living.
AT present the tendency all over
the country is to reduce the wages OF
those employed in protected industries.
At Fall River, Mass. $4,000 textile
operators are out Of work and de-
prived OF wages because they would
not consent to fiat wage reduction
OF IL per cent. In Chicago the Meat
Trust has crushed to death one Of the
most powerful labor organizations be-
cause 1t demanded reasonable in
crease Of wages for the under-peid
laborers. The Steel, Iron and Tin
Trusts. interests protected by the tariff,
have been largely reducing their wage
schedules. as has also the Glass Trust.
The artisans, mechanics and all scrts
of their unskilled helpers. to whom the
tariff does not even pretend TO give
protection, receive high wages, and
will continue to receive them so long
as their unions remain intact. But
what single tariff-protected industry
pays its workmen the same generous
reward for their labor that the I'M
protected activities pay their en-
ployees for their labor"
r 1t might be added that Commissioner
Wr.ghts remarkable statement and
tabulation upon which President
Roosevelt bases his remarks already
quoted, was discredited long before the
candidates letter OF acceptance was
made public. for Secretary Shaw in n
stump speech delivered several weeks
ago stated that the Commissioner OF
Labor has prepared 4 bomb which
would blow the Democratic party sky
high. or words to that effect. He said.
in so many words, that this bomb"
was In the nature of carefully pre-
pared article showing that the DEM
ocratic contention that the cost Of
living had been increased out OF pro.