The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-02-02


recreation of the people. The Yellow
stone park. the Yosemite. the Grand
canyon of the Colorado, the Glacier
National park and the Mount Rainier
National park and others furnish APP
propriate instances. In%only one case
have we made anything like adequate
preparation for the use of park by
the public. That case is the Yellow
stone National park. Every considera-
ton of patriotism and the love of ma
ture and Of beauty and of art requires
us to expend money enough to bring
all these natural wonders within easy
reach of our people. The first step in
that direction is the establishment of
responsible bureau which shall take
upon itself the burden of supervising
the parks and of making Recommended
lions as to the best method of improy-
ing their accessibility and usefulness.
international Commission on the Cost
of Living.
There has been strong movement
among economists, business men and
sfluCl iultlGSttd III tNUilOiiiiN INV CotiSe
IN to secure the appointment of an
international commission to look into
the cause for the high prices of the me-
cessities of life. There is no doubt but
that a commission could be appointed
of such unprecedented and impartial per
sons. experts. in investigation of eco
nomic facts, that 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-
tigation of this kind can be when un
dertaken by men who have had ade
quate experience in economic inquiries
and a leyelhodedness 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 matter of such grave public con-
Germ that deem 1t of great public in
terest that an international confer
ence 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. i there /
fore recommend that TO enable the /
IN invita- fnraiOfl
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 I
of preparation and Of participation by
the United States.
The numerous investigations on the /
subject, official or other, already made |
In various countries tsuch as Austria. /
Belgium. Canada. Denmark, France,
Germany. Great Britain, Italy. the
Netherlands and the United States 4
have themselves strongly demonstrate
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, IL not quite. general through
out the world. but they are bafiled in
the attempt to trace the causes by the
of making any accurate
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
itself would entail a com
small expense, and most Of
the subsequent investigations 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.
Il any. additional appropriations for
such bureaus.
Commission on Industrial Relations.
The extraordinary growth of indus
tfy In the past two decades and its {
changes have raised new {
and vital questions as to the relations
between employers and wage earners
which have become matters of press
ng public concern. These questions I
have been somewhat obscured by the +,
profound changes in the relations be- I
.ween competing producers and pro- {
ULCERS as a class and consumers-in |
,ther words. by the changes which, {
lmong other results. have given rise :
o what Is commonly called the trust {
The large scale production /
of modern industry. {
however. involves the one set of rela- ,
ions no less than the other. Any In d
eruption TO the normal and peaceful /
citations between employer and wage /
'arner involves public discomfort and I
n many cases public disaster. Such a
become, therefore. quite |
IS much matter Of public concern as O
estraint of trade or monopoly.
Industrial relations concern the pub e
Ic for a double reason. We are di- i
ectly interested in the maintenance OF v
eaceful and stable Industrial condi- n
ions for the sake of our own comfort h
nd well being. but society is equally S
Interested in its sovereign civic capac- 2
~ in seeing that our institutions are C
ffectiyely maintaining justice and fair V
ealing between any classes of citizens s
a