The Topeka state journal., 1910-04-07
Chairman Lodge of Committee
Investigating High Prices
Introduces a Bill Putting a
Check ON Cold Storage.
ONE YEAR is ENOUGH.
Food Articles Kept Longer to
Be Considered Adulterated.
When Age Is Concealed to Be
Counted Misbranded,

Washington. April IA limit should
be put on the use of cold storage for
the purpose of maintaining or advanc-
ing prices artificially. This is the judg
n1ent OF the senate cost of living COM
mittee and Chairman Lodge today in
troduced in the senate bill to meet
the recommendations.
In presenting the bill Senator Lodge
said:
Under the resolution of the senate,
the senatorial committee proceeded to
inquire into wages and prices of COM
modtties and was given authority to
make recommendations. In pursuance
of that authority. that committee now
desires to recommend to the senate leg
islation limiting the time during which
perishable articles, of food may be held
iE cold storage. From such inveStiga-
ton as the committee has thus been
able to make, it is satisfied some limit
ought to be put on the use of cold
storage for the purpose of maintaining
or advancing prices artificially. 1t is OF
the opinion this limit of time will tend
to an equalization of prices and in some
cases to a reduction.
1.-The Investigation of this subject is
rot completed. but it has proceeded far
enough to confirm by the results thus
far obtained the view taken by the
committee.
is not within the jurisdiction of your
committee charged with the investiga-
tion into wages and prices. The COM
mittee has no doubt. however, that
limitation of the time during which
perishable articles of food and more
especially meat products may be re-
tanned in cold storage would be hy-
chemically of very great value and would
tend to check many physical troubles
which are thought by those who have
he
table to the practice of keeping meats,
particularly, in storage for d very long
time.
Early Legislation Urged.
"The committee therefore recommends
legislation in this direction by con-
Mr. Dodge's bill will provide that
food kept in cold storage for more than
one year should be considered as adul-
terated and that any food taken out
of cold storage and enormously marked
as to the time it had been in storage,
should be regarded as misbranded in
violation of the pure food law.
The committee, through Mr.. Lodge, |
also asked the senate for instructions
in the matter of continuing the investi- !
cation into the cost of living. 1t was !
that four months would be |
required to complete the work and that |
it would necessitate an expenditure of |
$65, 900.
The outline of the suggested plan was
in great detail. 1t calls for statements (
to be obtained from 40 buyers in Sc
Iected localities covering the price paid |
to the producer on the first Of January. I
February, March, April, May and June
Of each year from 1900 to 1910, inclusive, |
for all grains, live stock and other farm
products.
It contemplates also the procuring of !
wholesale prices by the bureau of labor
On 26O commodities for 1909, and the
first four months of 1910 in order to
bring down to date the statements al
ready given since the year 1890. The
bureau of labor would be called on TO
obtain wholesale prices from 1897, to
1910, on all kinds of agricultural i'm
olementS.
Rent Is Excepted.
Retail prices paid by the consumer on
4 articles would be obtained covering
he same periods as were prescribed
or producers prices. This list is in
ended to include all articles covered
oy the senate resolution, providing for
he investigation excepting rent, for
which the committee says it seems
practically impossible to obtain re-
liable comparative figures.
Under the head of retail prices the
committee says prices should be OBJ
,ach of 20 selected cities and that the
torres should be those patronized by
wage earnerS
An investigation would be made of 4;
wages, salaries and hours of labor
rom pay rolls for a stated period in
ach Of the two years 1900, and 1910, .
rom at least 10 establishments in a
ong list of diversified manufacturers
md at least 10 cities covering depart ;
nent stores, street railways, telegraph
md telephone companies and in 10
tiles the union scale and the nonunion
Gale for building trades, compositorS,
ock hands iron molders and ma
hinists 1t is suggested also that the
REVEALING wages of agricultural labor
rs in 1900 and 1910 should be obtained.