Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-17
MINORITY PRICE REPORT
Committee on Wages Blsmes Tariff
and Trusts.
HOLDS UP ENGLISH EXAMPLE
Declaration Great Britain Has Pros
Pered More Than Any other
European Country ON
Free Trade.

WASHINGTON. Aug. 16.-The tariff
trusts. combines and monopoles and in
creased money supply are three substantial
causes for the advance In prices according
to Senators johnson OF Alabama, Clarke OF
Arkansas and Smith OF South Carolina.
minority mebers of the select senate com
mtttee appointed during the last session
Of congress to investigate and make a
report on wages and the prices of commodi-
ties
Vigorous attack Is made on the minority
members report on almost all the reasons
given by the majority its report sub
mitted some time ago, as to the cause for
the advance in prices.
After attacking one at a time the fifteen
principal causes which. according-to the
majority report contribute to the high
cost OF living, the minority takes up the
tariff declaring that when the Psyne-Al-
drich bill was framed, Champagne was
put on the schedules from 81 to &C per cent
while wearing apparel was taxed from so to
% per cent-drinklng champagne was to be
encouraged and wearing wooden clothes
discouraged.
Trusts and Combination.
Taking up the subject of trusts combi-
nations and monopoiies, they declare that
there are few trusts that could survive
a revenue tariff They flourish only under
the shadow of high protective walls"
The methods of the meat trust" they
declare, seem TO be admirably adapted
to taking from the consumer and the pro-
ducer the largest amount that the traffic
will bear"
As to wages. they say that 1.-THE fear
that wages would fall If the tariff was
removed and the fall in prices would not
be clear gain to the consumer. is not
warranted by the experience of Great
Britain. Great Britain is a free ma
ton and it is the most prosperous
nation in the world except our
own. Shoals Of emigrants from the
tariff ridden nations of France, Ger
many, Italy and Russia go to England to
work But Englishmen do not emigrate
to those countries, because the standard
of living is lower. The general testimony
is that the rate OF wages for mechani-
cal trades is substantially higher in Great
Britain than in those protectionist coun-
tries, while the prices of necessities are
lower, leaving the Englishman a wider
margin to live upon.
Example of England.
1t is about sixty years since Great Brit
ain adopted free trade and during that
time, according to a table published in
Whitaksr's almanac, wages have increased
sl7 per cent and prices only 8 per cent.
II is therefore we'll seen that the abolition
OF the tariff in England did not bring down
the rate OF wages Neither would 1t in
this country. II we remove the obstruc-
ton, allowing prices to sink to their natural
level the question of wages may be trusted
to take care OF itself.
Replying to the majority's statement, in
its report that an increased demand for
farm products lis a cause of advancing
prices" the minority cites the wheat crop
as having increased from less than seven
bushels per capita in 1900 to more than
eight in 1909; corn from twenty-seven to
thirty bushels per capita; and potatoes
from almost three to more than four bush
els. Notwithstanding the increase in the
price of farm products, the farmer, they
say, has realized a small net return on
his labor and investment by reason of the
increased cost of the articles necessary for
him to purchase to carry on his business"