The Washington herald., 1910-03-02
COST OF LYING
RAPIDLY EXPANDS
Chamber Committee Hands
in Its Report.
LOCAL DEALERS ExONERATED
High Prices FiKea At Remote Potats
OF Production and distribution.
Net In Neutrality-suspicious. Leg
fslation nv Congress Recommend
ed-woalas Ceasrea GELD Storage.

Cost OF living IA Washington has tn
creased 70 al alarming extent in the past
ten years. The causes are not local. but
reach out to the great producing and dis
tributing oenters of TIE country. RENE
dial legislation should be enacted by Con-
gress regulating cold storage OF food
products. limiting the periods OF the stor-
age OF particular classes OF products. and
possibly restricting the operations of cold
storage companies to purely warehouse
business.
These are the findings OF the special
committee appointed by the Chamber Of
Commerce TO investigate the subject and
submit a report TO the Chamber. The
committee made a thorough investiga-
ton into the facts Of the increased cost
of living. in which it had the willing CO.
operation Of wholesale and retail mer-
chants and distributors of produce in
this city. II was found that the cost OF
living has increased from . TO 10 per
cent in ten years. The inquiry was d.
reeted 10 the cost Of food, clothing. shell
ter, and fuel.
Prices Set at Remote Points.
Il was discovered, for example. that the
prices for butter were set by distributors
IN Elgin. H.; that the price OF meats
were established by the conditions OF the
cattle market in Jersey City; the price Of
eggs is also set by trade associations else
where. and so the causes were found TO
center at remote points from the local
markets. These prices are so set because
the points mentioned and others are the
great distributing points for particular
products and commodities.
The report Of the committee. which Is
somewhat voluminOus. was submitted yes
terday by the subcommittee TO the full
committee on law and legislation and
was approved by that body. It will be
submitted later TO the Chamber for its
action.
Firms Invited to Testify.
The following persons and firms ap-
peared before the subcommittee: John
son Bros. Burr Bros, and J. Maury
Dove Company. relating TO coal and
wood; the Dulin & Martin Company,
Charles r. Edmonston. house furnishings.
china, and glassware; Saks & Company,
D. J. kaufman, Parker, Bridget & Co,
B. Nordlinger. and B. Rieh's Sons, shoes
and clothing; Golden & Co, James F.
oyster. John Miller, Hughes Mar
ket Company, J. T. D. Pyles. and Corbin
Thompson. eggs. butter. milk, and pro-
duce; the Hoge-MeDoweIl Company. F.
Rogerson and Golden & Co, meats, pro-
visions and general commission business;
Stone & Fairfax, Moore & Hill, ]. Lynn
Yeagle. Of the National Antl-Food Trust
League. and Wnlige Gibbs & Daniel, real
estate
The committee further secured from
trade journals and from the daily market
reports Of daily papers extending back
over a period of ten years quotations on
meats. fresh and salt; eggs. milk. butter.
-four coffee, sugar, tea, FISH. oysters. COAL
and wood
The committee which has made the in
vestigatlon consists OF the following
members OF the Chamber OF Commerce:
j. Louis Willige. Dr. Richard D. Harlan |
Clarence Moore. Charles w. Darr, Will
lam T. Galllher, Robert n. Harper, Ar
thur D. Marks. and H. II. Classic. Allen
d. Albert was the chairman Of the COM
mittee when the investigation first began.
but ne left Washington during the hear |
tngs. The committee was appointed Jan
uary q