The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-14
INCREASED COST OF LIVING.


President Taft IS administration has
been distinguished by diligence in the
public interest that is seldom seen in
high Office We refer now 10 efforts
that have been made, and that arc
still making. for the solution of qucs
tions that are not usually considered
TO he official or within the require
nent of executive action. il will be
recalled that when The proposition was
made 10 revise tho tariff after tic
Presidential election Of 1905. thc new
administration, elected that year but
which came into Office on March lth
of the next wear, sci diligently TO
work to get information for the use
Of Congress III its work Of revising the
tarin', The most complete aud salts
factory response made 10 the. Secre-
tary Of State, who applied to foreign
governments for information on wages,
cost of raw material, and In general,
the cost of producing various articles
subject to tariff, WAS received from
Germany. But, as soon as the Senate
heard that this information was re
upon the German Government for its
assumed interference in the economic
operations Of the United States and its
"intrusion into the work OF Congress
On its being explained that the Infor
nation referred TO was furnished on
the request Of our own government, the
insulting demonstrations against Ger
many ceased, but the information fur
mshed by Germany was plgeonholed,
and no one but the members of the
Senate Finance Committee knows pre-
ciselv what it was. Information re
ceived otherwise was In like manner
smothered the Senate preferrlng to pro
ceed without such helpful information,
and thus it made its bad mistakes which
resulted in the terrific defeat of the
Republican party at the elections the
year thereafter.
Another matter newly made public is
the effort Of the administration TO get
facts in relation to tho increased cost
of living. This information comes from
AN Investigation extending over several
years made under the direction Of the
President by the State Department
through its consular agents in Europe.
The facts submitted are Of the most
interesting character, showing in
creases in Great Britain Of various ar
Cnalc ~ fyynpt,- mar
cent, with wage increase of only
eleven per cent In France there have
been even greater increases In prices,
and in Germany the cost Of living has
so increased that the labor conditions
have been seriously affected, The same
general conditions are reported all over
Europe.
An Illuminating part Of the report Is
that which deals with the cooperative
societies Of England, showing their
number, the great business they do,
and the solid foundation upon which
they are based. The contest between
the private traders and these co-opera'
tive societies is very keen at tines
and, while the number of such societies
does not increase, their business does
increase, and is very large in amount,
The report goes into detail as to
prices Of foods in common use, and there
can be no doubt but that the increase
has materially affected conditions OF
living throughout Europe, although
hardly 10 tho extent that those coudl'
tions have been affected in the United
States. in all this matter, however,
the effort Of the Taft administration
10 get trustworthy and practical lntor
nation stands forth a bright and lllu-
minatino fact in the effort Of the Pres,
dent practically to serve the people,
even in matters not embraced spccih.
cally in his official obligations.