New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-02-24

2
down such rules governing the Civil Ser
vice az will secure the utmost efficiency
from each civil servant or each unit Of
la Dor.
CIVII. SERVICE PENSIONS.
Then Mr. Taft went on to say that a
great many more persons are employed
in the government than would be needed
If every person in the government
dered to the government d service of
high degree of efficiency, adding:
This commission will have to take UP
the question, which has troubled great in
dustrial corporations and great railroads.
nuated servants. Our military pensions
have reached so large ain annual sum, to
wit $40, 100000, that we have avoided the
suggestion of civil pensions. but am con-
WINGED that some method must be adopted
by which superannuated civil servants may
be retired OH An income sufficient to sup
port them, and that such provision will
ultimately bring about great economy in
the administration.
1t has been reported by the Postmaster
General that we are carrying In the Post
office Department the weekly periodicals
and mass1o o a and that he
ness of the government in the Postofice
Department is now run at general loss
OF SIT 10000 The committees of Congress
are investigating the correctness OF this
view.
some way certainly Of determining this
fact and il 1t is fact it calls for re-
form and an increase in the postage OF q
sufficient amount at least to take away the
deficit In the Postoffice Department should
the two postal committees not be abe 70
reach conclusion satisfactory 10 them
under this question. the whole matter may
we'll be left to the commission to consider
II will be essential for this commission
to employ expert men who have had TO do
with the organization of great businesses
and who are familiar with the nlost moo,
pfp
the success of modern business has been
the adoption of successful economies. and
the time has come for us to make an Ell.
Fort at least to introduce something or
these economies into an administration or
the greatest business that we nave IN thls
Countrywide business of our federal gov
eminent.
The President then pointed out the
difference between government affairs
and those of a business concern, saying:
am quite aware that things done by the
government are done under condltlons SO
that there are certain expenditures -neces-
sary in view Of the fact that the govern
ment business is done for the benent or all
the people and that. therefore, all the PEG,
pie are entitled to know how II is done, ana
a number of them are entitled 10 De seleT.ea
in a fair way to share in its doing But,
in spite of the added expenditure of ad1hin
istration incident to the rea41re,mIeT'S With GI
government methods now IN vogue must
recognize the possibility Of reforms leadlng
have the courage to adopt plans which may
be recommended by this commission after
a fun examination by business experts
| have already occupied your time TOO
much and I perhaps have not made TINS
statement very informing or , inters
YOU and myself on the prospect that tn s
present tariff bill offers such an increased
income as to make deficits under any con-
dition unnecessary OF course, If there
were to be a halt In our prosperity, ana
p pnhstan tj as to- lead to deficits again
Let us hope, however, that the prosperity
ct ou basis that no furry. In the stock
market and no other temporary cause ma!
prevent the continuance OF good business
+ on a substantial basis
/ LODGE ON HIGH PRICES.
Senator Lodge after warm greeting
had ended. told OF the work OF the Sen
ate committee, Of which he is chairman,
which is engaged in an inquiry into the
prices of commodities and the rates OF
! wages He started out by saying;
| The facts will be collected and given out
without any reference to any preconcelVed
| ideas and without any. regard as to what
| or whom 1t will help or hurt. We shaiI
l. hew TO the line and let the chips fap Where
| they Will
After outlining in a general way the
| method of procedure which the commit
I tee will follow in conducting its inquiry
| and giving a number of specific. facts
| which revealed some of the difficulties
! the committee will have to face. Senator
I Lodge said: -
That combinations to control the sale of
| certain articles have, in some instances. ad--
! ysnced prices artihciafly have not person
| alIv the least doubt, and if am correct. the
| facts which Will be gathered by the com
| mittee will demonstrate and will SHOW eVils
| and wrongdoing in certain PARTICULAR cases
! which we ought to be able to reach. An
! example of such evils is to be found IN the
| case of meat products and in the use OF
| cold storage to prevent a normal decline
I OF prices which your own grand jury mas
| been investigating. But many causes are
| at work affecting prices, and we do not
! want to lump at conclusions fancy that
we can settle these questions by a stroke
| of the pen. .
! whether the rise in prices has been sudden
| or has extended over series OF years;
/ whether there. has. been an advance III
world prices or whether the advance is
confined to the United States; whether
wages and if possible, whether salaries
whEch are most difficult to ascertain, have
risen with prices and to what degree, II
any: whether the tariff has raised prices;
/ whether prices in certain cases have been
artificially and wrongly advanced by com
binations seeking inordnate prohts, ana,
finally, shall make comparison pc
tween domestic and foreign wages ana
prices. --.
SENATOR'S ILLUSTRATIONS -
AS an illustration of the difficulties
which the committee will have TO deal
with. Senator Lodge took three articles
of wide consumption. all necessarles OF
,iife-raw cotton, refined petroleum ana
sugar-and made a comparison of their
changes in price and of their relation
to the tariff and trust questions. He
said
Cotton is on the free list, and has been
there for a quarter of a century. 1t IS not
controlled nor handled by any trust. Re
fined oil has been practically, and now rs
absolutely on the free list, and It's sale is
almost entirely controlled by the strong
est best organized and most relentless
knowledge Sugar is in the hands of "a
trust or combination and is highly pro.
tected. Neither the trusts nor the tariff
is present in the case of cotton the
trust is present and the tariff absent in
the case OF oil Both the tariff and trust
control are present in the case of sugar.
Now let us consider the facts in regard
70 the prices of these articles. Taking 100
as the basis in 1899, the advance In cotton
: has ranged from 81 TO 81 points. II was 5s
points higher in 1908 than in 1899. and II is
still higher at the present time. Petroleum
starting with 100 as the basis III 1899. has
advanced % points in ten years. sugar IN
The same time has declined 10 points.
I make no comment on these facts and
offer no opinion leave IL to YOU TO
,o;,+ ont the rpuSs. the movement OF