The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1910-01-13
GOVERNMENT TO INVESTIGATE
THE INCREASED COST OF LIVING
Senator Crawford Calls Secretary Na6el For Conservative
Statement Of the Facts Regarding Advance in Price Of
NecessHes---If Data FAIL Inquiry and Remedial
LEGISLATION Will Follow.

WASHINGTON, d. C.--The alarming
increase in the cos. Of living, due to
the rapid and constant advance in the
price Of necessities, is to be inVosi-
gated by the Government,
Senator Crawford, OF South Da-
kota, has asked Secretary Nagel of
the Department OF Commerce and
Labor, for n conservative statement Of
the facts, Should the Secretary, from
data in his possession, fail TO give the
desired information, Senator CraW-
ford will press resolution IN the
Senate, directing the Commissioner
to investigate and report TO Congress
early, that there may be prompt
remedial legislation.
Senator Crawford purposes to get
Mt the bottom facts as 10 the advance
in prices There is suspicion in his
part of the country that combination
and community of Interest," have
something to do with conditions that
are alarming and fast growing intol-
cradle. Senator Crawford is an OPP
ponent Of all monopolistic trusts and
corners in farm and dairy products,
Preliminary investigations show
there have been no reports from the
Commissioner OF Labor on the costs
Of living. the advance in price Of
necessities and the value of labor
since 1907. Az that time a report
was made that labor was not able to
purchase as much as in previous
years The report was severely critl-
clsed by Republican statesmen, be-
cause a political campaign was about
to open. 4 An amended report soon
appea.edI and its comparisons, more
exhaustive than In the first report,
explained some Of the most damagiag
statements previously made.
Increased Cost 81 Per Cent.
Since 1907 there has been a sharp
Increase in the cost Of living, and a
acknowledgements for a dozen years,
In a gpeFial dispatch to The American
from Trenton, ". j., It was stated by
the State Board of Labor and Stats
tics that the cost OF living in New
Jersey has increased in thirteen years
1913 per cent.
These facts have been brought
home to a number of Senators by
their constituents. The people want
10 know whether combinations and
price arrangements have raised cost
to consumers; what the farmer and
the middle man get, to determine
whether the margins of profit are too
great. Senator Crawford will have
little difficulty in getting his resolu-
lions Of inquiry passed,
Senator Bristow, " Kansas, be-
lieves combinations have something
TO do with the advance Of the cost OF
necessities, but thinks that the desire
for Injuries has more.
"The people have grown accus-
toned to luxuries," he said. For
years they got the best of everything
at prices lower than now. When
prices were advanced because OF de-
mand. they had TO take the next best
The result has been n general advance
of all grades of necessities. | believe
the combinations have had much Il
do with it, but not all.
"When the wholesaler advances
slightly, the retailer advances, anc
the two or more advances made be
fore the article reaches the consumer
makes the general advance burdeI
on tho Wage-earner. | would IKE u
know the relationship that exists II
all cases or in large communities be
tween wholesaler and the retailer
I have heard, but do not know, tina
in some instances the wholesaler con
trolls the retailers and fixes the retail
price.
al do not think the tariff can b'
held responsible for these advances