Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1910-06-11
WASHINGTON
LETTER
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
OF THE PRESS
Washington, D. G., June s, 1910


dragging its weary way along Judged
bv the information which the committee
has obtained through the government de-
partments and at public hearings, it APP
pears that the committee will find that
prices of the necessares of life are at a
high range and that Il wide variety of
causes, primarily a higher standard of
living. are responsible Of which was
known before the investigation started
and which soon will be proclaimed again
after All expenditure of many thousands
of dollars.
The other day South Carolina cot
ton planter told the committee that the
negro cotton farm laborers were the
chief beneficiaries of the prevailing high
prices OF cotton And to use the parlance
Of a childrens game. he was getting very
warm in his search for the primary cause
of the high cost of living.
Fine clothes and new buggies are the
order of the day among the farm laborers
of the SOUTH" commented Senator Smith,
of South Carolina.
The farmer who does not have a tele
phone is ostracized, and the same thing
is true unless he has new buggy" said
a North Dakota farmer few days ago.
II nothing else, the inquiry SO far has
proved that the farmers are getting more
for their products than they were few
years ago. They are more prosperous,
have more luXuries and handle more mon
ey: but it is doubtful whether their
bank accounts are any larger They as
sert that the value of land has gone up
and that farm machinery costs more and
that-which is of chief Importance
wages of farm workers have materially
advanced. The latter are the ones to
get the real benefit of the increased value
of farm products.
While there has not been such a full
investigation of the situation in factor
les, sufficient evidence has been produced
to show that tie wages of factory work
ers have been going up for number of
years. Further inquiry along that line
is expected to show that they, like the
farm laborers. are wearing better cloth
ing and are generally living better.
Pay The Piper
All this tends to show higher stand
ard of living He who dances must pay
the piper Therefore, what right have
we to kick at the higher prices? You
get more for what you produce and |
get more for what | produce-and there
you are.
Of course, the primary object of the
investigation was to ascertain whether
or not the new tariff law or the big
corporations were responsible -Republi
can high tariff men wishing to exoner-
ate the tariff and Democratic free trad
ers wishing to convict it, The evidence
so far gathered has not been so prepond
Grating one way OF the other as to cause
either political faction to change its
views.
That hardly can be said as regards
the evidence Of the effect Of big corpora
tions on prices. The committee found
that the butter prices for the country
were practically made i'll the little city
of Elgin, Illinois, and by small com
mittee of butter brokers. This directed
the attention of the Department of JUS
tice to the "Elgin Board, but no re-
suits from its Investigations so far have
become known. The committee also
found that the Southern Wholesale
Grocers' Association welded mighty
influence over prices and distribution of
groceries throughout the South, and It
developed that prosecutions of that or
ganization are under way. There are
other organizations and corporations un-
der close scrutiny and further activity
on the part of the Attorney General
seems more than likely.
If the inquiry into the causes of the
high cost of living be productive of legis
lative results, it probably will be i'll the
line of stricter control of trade organiza
tions that are in the nature of close cor
porations and Of big combinations Of
capital i'll one trade Yet it is held by
many Senators that what evils of that
kind have been discovered can be reach
ed by the present statutes, chiefly the
Sherman Anti Trust Law.
Another of last winters congressional
Investigations also is nearing a close
the inquiry into the Ballinger- Pinchot
Glavis controversy. The entire case Will
be in the hands of the committee June
Is, and its members will lose no time i'll
framing report,
1t is generally expected that three sep
arate reports will be filed by members of
the committee majority report, Sign
ed by the regular Republican members
and possibly one 0 rtwo Democrats: IL
minority report, signed alone by Repre-
sentatives Madison, Insurgent Republi
can, and il minority report, signed by
from 2 to Democrats.
Censure of the propriety of Secretary
Ballinger in taking some of the steps
which he did is sure to be the feature
of at least one, and probably two, of the
reports. None Of them, it is generally
believed by impartial followers OF the
hearings will find him guilty of wrong
doings such as would justify his removal.
The end of the fight over the railroad
regulation bill came into sight this week,
but another week is expected to pass be-
fore there is final vote on the measure.
The fight of the Insurgent Senators
brought more compromise from the Sen
ate leaders during the week. The most
important concession of The week was
that giving the Interstate Commerce
Commission power to suspend new rates
increases of fares and freight rates,
chiefy-for practically eleven months
after they are filed. As the bill was
framed, the period OF suspension was
limited to threre months. Senate lead
ers at first yielded two more months and
pulled in few more votes; then the In
surgents proposed an indefinite period OF
suspension and the Senate leaders yield
ed six months more. That extra six
months was good for enough votes to
defeat the Insurgents proposal.
President Taft will hardly recognize
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