Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-02-24

| before the country AT the earliest pos
sihle moment. The committee proposes
to gather, as far as possible, all the
accessible facts and present them to
the country, pointing out what the
facts show.
THE committee does not propose TO
gather opinions. The committee might
sit day and night for the next three
months and hear opinions as to these
questions, and neither the committee
nor tho country would be any wiser
at the end than they we're at the be-
ginning.
I'm the opinion OF the committee the
important object Is to set at he facts
and from the facts learn the causes OF
the advance in prices which has ull-
doubtedly taken place.
w shall try to determine whether
the Else in prices has been sudden Or
has extended over o series of years;
whether there has been an advance
IN world prices pr whether the advance
Is confined to the United States;
whether wages, and, II possible,
whether salaries, which are most diff
cult 10 ascertain, have risen with prices
and TO what degree, II any; whether the
tariff has raised prices; whether prices
Ia certain cases have been artificlally
and wrongly advanced by ~nbinatIo
seeking inordlnate profits. and finally
we shall make q comparison between
domestic and foreign wages and prices.
The facts win be collected and given
out without any reference to any pre-
conceived ideas and without any re-
gard as to what or whom 1t will help
or hurt. We shall how to the line and
let the chips fall where they will.
WIN 20 ny s"e facss.
II, tor eAatnp4e, The facts snow thai
the increase otssotd mas been q power
tut iacsor III tnt advance VI prices ev-
eryWheie' II "ill be SO stated IL the
reverse Is SHOWN py the facts, that WIN
ne statea. IL the facts show that tho
tarlft advances prices in this country it
VII De so stated without regard 10 any
ones feelings II II the facts show on
the other hand that the tariff does not
adyance prices, thai VIII be plainly
stated. II the facts make It appear
That certain articles are artihcially adj
vanced In prices by combinations Of
producers, manufacturers. middlenlen,
or retailers, that Will be laid before the
pubilc
There Will be 10 attempt either to
blacken, to wilitewash, or to mislead.
The questions involved are complicated
ana dif1cult in the highest degree,
Many persons appear to think that tho
problem carl be solved by some simple
expedient which can be thought u
and stated In tho ttne that 1t takes to
write a paragraph in the newspapers.
Personally I have given some months
to an investigation Of these questions,
and the one fact of which l am perfect
~ certain 10 that they are extremely
difficult and cannot be settled or rene
died ofihapd la five minutes.
1T Ia necessary to determine first
what the causes are of the advance OF
r.r 10 ee,,ne ~ ,as,s,s 49, - aAs,
be considered the relation of wages m
prices, OF income to expenditure. os the
purchasing power to the price. n, mas
drastic measures. which we know y,ouId
cause confusion in business. on the
chance that they would reredv ti,a
evil OF excessive prices womb he the
height OF folly. To fail to pass ,erisIa-
ton which we are convinced vuo,,iS re-
dpce eycessive nrices and nre,,ort ~
due and extortionate profits Uo,,,d ,a
~unpardonablc
But We must be very sure, that o,,.
LEGISLATION will reach the evil before
we attempt to enact It. Within q dav
or two l have had. among MANY iat-
tiers, two which are typicai of = fran,e
OF mind which seerss TO me- neri1ous
One letter said that the cause ~ b,el,
prices vas obviously the tariff ana
that we nlust abolish tha tariff ~