The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-10-15
THE cosT or LIVING.

Why is it that the cause Of higf
prices Is such a puzAe2
Why is it necessary to have a com
mission to Investigate and report on
tlie causes of the rise Of prices as rec
commended by President Taft?
Sufficient data is already at hand
fos all practical purposes.
The period between 1900 and 1912
1.-THE period Of high prices has been
marked by great increase in the an.
nual production Of gold-the increase
being neatly four times what it was
prior to 1896 In the last twelve years
li9o0 to 1922 the total aggregate pro-
duetion exceeds that Of the thirty-fiye
years from 1851 to 1896
This period is also q period Of high
tariffs. The Dingey bin, enacted in
1891 was in force until August 4, 1909,
when the Aldrich bill went into effect
The duties under these bills averages
nearly so per cent.
It Is IN the past twelve years also
that we have witnessed phenomenal
growth Of the trusts.
During this period prices have risen
by leaps and bounds and they have
risen faster IN countries with high
tariffs thar in free trade countries
and highest Of all where tariffs and
private monopolies have flourished.
Bradstreet estimates the rise of
prices Of the neeessaries Of life as fol.
lows between 1897 and 1910:
In England 4---- 2S per cent
In Germany - 43. per cent
In United States 1888 per cent
The bulletin Of the department OFF
commerce and labor issued by our
government, estimates the rise inI
wholesale prices between 1897 and
1910 at 46.7 per cent, and the rise in
retail prices was still greater.
Byron w Holt estimates that prices
increased during this period so per
cent
The last report Of the federal bu-
reau Of commerce and labor shows
that prices are still soaring and that
retail prices Of many necessaries in
the last ten years have nearly doubled
Thus we note:
% That there is a world rise Of
prices Of some 25 per cent on account
Of the Increased production of gold.
~ That high protective tariffs
raise prices. Prices are Is pei. cent
higher in Germany under Germanys
protective tariff than in England un-
der free trade.
lsl That trusts raise prices. No
where have trade combinations been
able to establish monopoly prices as in
the United States and it Is here that
prices soar most
In the light of these facts we can
readily understand why prices are Is
per cent higher in Germany tLan in
England and 50 per cent higher in
tbe United States than in England.
We also see that less than one half
OF tie rise in prices is due to the in
creased production Of gold and the ball
anee is caused by the tariffs and the
trusts.
The rise In prices caused by the
Increased volume Of money and cred
AS is wholesome because all share in
the benefit The rise caused BY the
tariff and the trusts is vicious because
only few share in the benefit. 1t is
the abnormal artificial rise in prices
that hurts and is causing the loud
complaints Of the cost Of living.
Yq reduce the high cost OF living to
a pqtural level we must lower the
tariff and free ourselves Of the monop-
oly prices Of the trusts; and inasmuch
AS The TARIFF is the mother Of trusts.
BIZ takins down the tariff wall we will
not only he ria Of SO much Of the rise
in prices as comes from the protective
system hut Of some Of the rise that
comes from private monopoly.
The Democratic house of represen.
iaiiHea made a good start in pulling
down the tariff wall BY cutting IN
twain the wool and cotton schedules
ana putting some 81 the more common
necessities Of lie on thefrse lisf. This
'poliey which was vetoed by Presdent
Taft needs to Be earrie oia and ex-