The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-11
VAN HOOSE URGES INVESTIGATION ON
 BUSINESS BASIS Thinks Vague and General Charges of High Prices Are Hurting the City SHOULD BE SETTLED
 AND SETTLED FAIRLY Suggests Committee To Hear Charges and Make Full and Complete Re- port On Cost of Living In
 Birmingham.

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 In reference to the question as to the cost of living in Birmingham and the Birmingham district, compared with other cities of approximate size and fu- ture outlook, I have been surprised that nothing more definite seems so far to have resulted from all of this talk and newspaper agitation.
 As matters now stand, Birmingham and the entire Birmingham district have been badly hurt by so much indefinite talk. Other cities and districts, our rivals in many ways, are using all this against us. Salesmen from other cities are meet ing our men on the road and are knock ing them and us right along, on the ground that living in and around Bir- mingham is confessedly so high that this is not a good market from which to draw supplies. In my judgment this should be settled and settled at once.
 Suggests Formation of Committee.
 As no one else seems to have anything very definite to offer in the way of set ting these vital questions. I venture to make the following suggestion: Let MT. Barrett of the Age-Herald President Wood of the Commercial club, President Heidt of the Board of Trade, President James B. Drake of the Trades Coun- cl and Judge A. o. Lane, be by com mon consent selected by the public, as a committee to investigate and report upon this whole subject. Let MT. Bar rett, as acting chairman, immediately call that committee together for the definite, clear-cut work of getting right down to facts and as quickly as possi- ble, with due regard to thoroughness and fairness, make full report of their find ings. As the matter now stands, the merchants of this city and largely of the whole district, have been more or less held up to suspicion and greatly dis credited as merchants and as citizens in the eyes of their neghbors and of the public generally. And yet when these more or less vague charges are calmly analysed, where have been produced real facts to justify such widespread insinua- tions, such sweeping denunciations and discrediting of men and citizens who in their respective callings, in one way or another are engaged in mercantile indus trial and mechanical life?
 1 advisedly use these three adjectives; for conditions in modern community or city life are so interlocked and inter- woven that no one single line or field of activity can be justly and fairly sin ged out and be held up singly and alone as responsible for that which is good, or for that which is bad.
 lnvestuate All Lines.
 Let this committee invite statements from individual wholesalers and retailers in all lines, as to cost of doing business here, and their respective net profits. Re- quest brokers and representatives of manufacturers to testify as to their profits and cost of their respective businesses. Have the rates for advertising investi- gated and compared with rates in other cities. Newspaper advertising in this day is just as much necessity to mer- chant as are his clerks teams or lights. Let the newspapers show what are their cost of doing business and the net profits. Investigate all lines of merchant disc; shoes, clothing, dry goods, hard ware, house furnishing goods of all kinds, packing house products, butchers, milk. fruits, market men, coal oil, corn, oats and feedstuffs, livery bills, cost of main- taining teams, frequency of deliveries of goods, blacksmithing, horseshoeing, laun- dry, etc. Ask representative property holders and real estate agents to testify as to rents and profits of office buildings, stores, fruit stands, dwellings. Inyesti- gate and compare taxes, municipal, coun- ty and state, and the multitudinous H. censes required of the mercantile inter- ests in and around Birmingham.
 Investigate wages of clerks and em- ployes of all kinds, and wages paid to mechanics in all departments. Investi- gate from the housekeeper, or head of the family, how they buy and how do they select or inquire carefully as to whether a cheaper article would not be just as wholesome and answer all prac- tical purposes, as a higher priced one. Also investigate such vital questions as water, ice, coal. kindling wood, gas. electric lights, telephone service and cost.
 Prices In Commissaries.
 I would suggest especially that careful investigation be made as to the prices obtaining in the commissaries in and around Birmingham, and how these prices. grade for grade, compare with prices in Birmingham proper, and in other cities This is a most important point, because these commissares are operated. it is claimed by those who own them, not for profits, but mainly for the ac- commodation of their employees. The parties operating them own their own land and buildings; the buildings are of the cheapest and plainest kind; little or no attempt is made at fancy displays. A great many of their customers carry away