Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-06-23
GOLD INCREASE
AND HIGH PRICES
Prest. W. C. Brown OF the New
York Central Railroad Explains
Relation Between Them.
SOUNDS A PESSlMISTlC NOTE
Wants Ia Know What Nation VIII DO
When IL Can't Produce Sufficient
Food supply.

81 Paul Mimi, June 23.--Speaking on
the high cost Of living, President W. G.
Brown Of the New York Central lines,
quoted statistics TO show the Increase
in the high cost OF all products OF the
farm factory and mines, and then said
In part
"Refornists agree that as the basic
metal Ceold) Increases in quantity. the
price Of everything measured by and
paid for with that metal is invariably
enhanced in value
For this reason, the pay OF labor has
steadily advanced and must continue TO
advance In some fair ratio with the
increase In tho cost OF things that labor
must buy. To put II another way
wages must 60 Up IN about the same
proportion that the purchasing power
Of money OF the laborer goes down"
After discussing the increase in food
production. the speaker said
line uestionahly this great Increase
in the production Of gold has power
fully Influenced the values OF every
thing in which men deal and will con-
tinue 20 affect them 90 long as produc-
ton continues to Increase, or continues
a It's present volume
The increase In cost so far az II is
produced by tho increased volume Of
gold is not q feature that need cause
apprehension or alarm.
Everything save wages railroad
rates and fiXed incomes from long time
securities, continuously and almost co
inCidently adjust themselves TO the
changing conditions resultant upon
this influx OF gold.
Wages are adjusted from time TO
time and securities as they mature Will
be refunded upon a higher basls. The
rates charged by the railroads must
also under the supervision OF proper
governmental authority he adjusted
from time to time to meet these con
ditinns
''rhe increase ia values is felt In
every department OF business activity
OF the ma ton, and no business can be
.debarred from sharing in this inerea sed
compensation without doing great in
justice and permanent injury"
SOMEWHAT PEssIMIsTIc.
Mr. brown tneri spoke of~-'the alarm
| ing rnpidity with which the cousump
tion of the products OF the nation
farms Is overtaking production and
continued
when the day comes that this ma
ton fails 20 produce sufficient food ID
supply our own people. when we no
longer send the products OF our farms
abroad bringing back the gold from
foreign nations-what viii be the cost
~ living In this country, and where
VIII the money come from TO meet the
cost?
ITO an audience such as this IL is
unnecessary TO say that population cor
consumption cannot be slowed down
on the contrary II will be increased.
I'VE are building great battleships
two OF them each year. costing. equip
ped and complete. about $4,000 900
each-and IL costs nearly SlO00.000 per
annum to man and maintain them.
Il am in favor Of an adequate navy.
but / wish the money expended in
building just one battleship could be
devoted 20 this improved intelligent
work Of agriculture.
What one battleship costs would
establish two splendid agricultural eX>
pertinent or demonstration farms IN
every state in the Union, and | Will
guarantee IN this Is done and the work
intelllgently and theoretically carried
on, that as a result OF IL. the value Of
the increased product OF the nation =
farms win within 10 years buy and
nay for every hatteship OF every navy
that noats on salt water today.
Unless we can increase the product
per acre OF the farms OF this country
the most serious danger which we have
20 fear is from within and not from
without--a danger against which bat
tleships would be OF little use