Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-01
Washington Not Responsible
for High Living Expenses.
DEALERS ARE EXONERATED
Result of Inquiry by Chamber of
Commerce Committee.
READY TO SUBMIT REPORT
Remedial Legislation for Regulation
Of Cold Storage Of Food Products
Recommended.

The living expenses OF the citizens of
the District of Columbia have Increased
alarmingly in the last decade. but the
causes of the increase are beyond local
control.
This statement OF conditions in the Ma
tional Capital epitomizes the report Of the
committee OF the Washington Chamber
Of Commerce, which for weeks has been
conducting a careful investigation into
the cost of living In the District. The
report was made public today, and will
be submitted to the chamber at its next
meeting.
After listening to the testimony of
Washipgton's merchants and consumers.
the committee has given the wholesale
and retail dealers here a clean bill or
health. The committee says in its report
that the great increases in the prices of
foodstuffs and other necessities have not
been due to grasping dealers. nor to COM
binations in restraint of trade among the
Washington business men. The dealers,
says the report, have sought only rea-
sonable profit In their business.
In the outset of it's report the commit
tee explains that at no time has II en-
deavored to analyze the causes of the ma
tfOn-wide advance In the cost OF lVlns,
investigation of local conditions. 1t has
not dealt with the questions of the tarin,
the cost of railway transportation, the
trusts the gold supply or other reasons
which have been assigned by various per-
sons for the increase in the cost of liv-
ing over all the country.
Remedial Legislation Proposed.
The committee recommends to Con-
gress remedial legislation for the reg
ulation OF cold storage OF food prod
ucts, limiting the periods OF storage
of particular classes Of articles and
possibly restricting the operations of
Icold storage companies to a purely
warehousing business. Copies OF these
Recommendations and also of the COM
mittee's report will be sent to the
special committees OF Congress now In
lvestigating the high cost of living, aud
| to the Senate and House District COM
mittees.
Among the findings Of the commit
tee is a statement that nOtwithstand-
| ing the increases in the prices of
building materials and labor, the cost
| to the purchaser and occupant OF
houses in the District at the present
time is not appreciably greater than
was the case ten or even twenty years
ago. The reasons assigned for this
are three: First, to the Introduction
of the apartment house. with It's econ
nomy of ground space; second. to the
opening up to occupancy of the larger
fan-shaped area extending about the
older confines of the city by street
extensions, and third, to the practice
which has come into vogue on the
part OF builders OF improving. In each
instance. considerable frontages of
land. which. on account Of their size,
are acquired at a relatively cheaper
lcost for each individual building lot.
Business properties, it is declared.
lhave increased in cost more than
have residential properties, on account
of improved methods of installation
demanded, more rigid building regula-
tions. more adequate equipment for
fire protection, ETC., are more costly In
construction. and. on account OF the
natural increase in downtown ground
values as the city increases In the size
Of it's built-up area and its populd-
tion, command from merchants higher
annual or monthly rental, affecting
possibly to slight degree the cost
| fixed upon each article sold in their
establishments.
| The committee which has made the
| investigation consists of the following
members Of the Chamber of Commerce:
]. Louis Willige, DIR. Richard d. Harlan.
| Clarence Moore. Charles w. Darr. VIII
| liam T. Galliher, Robert N. Harper, Ar
| thur d. Marks and H. H. Classic. Allen
D. Albert was the chairman of the COM
| mittee when the investigation first be-
gan, but he left Washington during
| the hearings to engage in business in
Ohio. The committee was appointed