The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-02

the cause for the high prices Of the ne
cessfties of life. There is no doubt but
that a commission could be appointed
Of such unprejudiced and impartial per
sons. experts in investigation of eco
nomic facts, that a great deal of very
valuable light could be shed upon the
reasons for the high prices that have SO
distressed the people of the world and
information given upon which action
might be taken to reduce the cost of
living The very satisfactory report
of the railway stock and bonds COM
mission indicates how useful an inves-
LEGATION of this kind can be when I'M
dertaken by men who have had ade-
quate experience in economic inquiries
and a levelheadedness and judgment
correctly to apply sound principles to
the facts found
For some years past the high and
steadily increasing cost of living has
been d matter of such grave public con-
Germ that 1 deem it of great public in
terest that an international confer
Rnce be proposed at this time for the
purpose of preparing plans. to be sub
mitted to the various governments. for
an international inquiry into the high
cost of living. its extent, causes, eff
fects and possible remedies. l there
fore recommend that to enable the
president to invite foreign govern
ments to such a conference. to be held
at Washington or elsewhere, the con-
gress provide an appropriation. not to
exceed $4,000. to defray the expenses
of preparation and of participation by
the United States
The numerous Investigations on the
subject, official or other, already made
In various countries (such as Austria.
Belgium, Canada. Denmark, France.
Germany, Great Britain. Italy, the
Netherlands and the United States
have themselves strongly demonstrat-
ed the need of further study of world
wide scope. Those who have conduct
ed these Investigations have found
that the phenomenon of rising prices
is almost, if not quite, general through
out the world, but they are baf1ed in
the attempt to trace the causes by the
impossibihty of making any accurate
international comparisons This is be-
cause, in spite of the number of inves-
legations already made. we are still
without adequate data and because as
yet no two countries estimate their
price levels on the same basis or by
the same methods.
As already indicated, the preliminary
conference itself would entail a COM
paratively small expense. and most of
the subsequent Investigate tons for which
it would prepare the way could be car
ried out by existing bureaus in this
and other governments as part of their
regular work and would require little.
If any, additional appropriations for
such bureaus.
Commission en- Industrial Relations.
The extraordinary growth of indus
try in the past two decades and its
revolutionary changes have raised new
and vital questions as to the relations
between employers and wage earners
which have become matters of press
ing public concern. These questions
have been somewhat obscured by the
profound changes in the relations be
tween competing producers and pro-
ducers as a class and cOnsumers-fn
other words. by the changes which.
among other results. have given rise
to what is commonly called the trust
problem. The large scale production
characteristic of modern industry.
however, involves the one set of rela-
lions no less than the other Any in
terruption to the normal and peaceful
relations between employer and wage
Garner involves public discomfort and
in many cases public disaster. Such
Interruptions become. therefore. quite
as much a matter of public concern as
ofv,% 80 ,.o, Il
Industrial relations concern the pub
lie for a double reason. We are di-
rectly interested in the maintenance of
peaceful and stable industrial condi-
lions for the sake of our own comfort
and well being. but society is equally
interested in it's sovereign civic capac-
ity in seeing that our institutions are
effectively maintaining Justice and fair
dealing between any classes OF citizens
whose economic interests may seem to
clash. Railway strikes on such a scale
as has recently been witnessed in
France and in England, a strike of
coal mine workers such as we have
more than once witnessed in this coun-
try and such a wholesale relinquishing
of public service as that of the street
cleaners recently in New York illus
trate the serious danger to public we'll
being and the inadequacy of the exist
ing social machinery either to prevent
such occurrences or to adjust them on
any equitable and permanent basis
after they have arisen
In spite of the frequency with which
we are exposed to these dangers and in
spite Of the absence of provision for
dealing with them we continue to as
sumo with easy going confidence that
In each new case somehow or other the