The Washington herald., 1913-11-24
COST OF living
PROBE PLANNED
Leaders Want to Show High
Prices Not Due to Demo-
cratic Policies.
DETAILS NOT DECIDED ON
House Committee on the judiciary or
Special Commission May Con-
duct the Investigation.
DETAILS NOT DECIDED ON

An inquiry into the cost Of living. with
view to demonstrating as far as pos
sible that the cause cannot Justly be at
tributed to Democratic policies. or fear
of them, is contemplated by leaders In
Congress. The work may be entrusted to
one commission or committee or II may
be done piece-meal by a number OF COM
mittees. A decision on this poiat viii be
reached at a conference of the Demo-
cratic leaders, to be held later in the
winter.
The question of the increased cost of
living is a sore subject with Democrats
these days. Reports from every direc-
ton are to the effect that prices con-
tinue to ascend skyward, and only re-
Gently the statement was made by Send-
tor Smoot of Utah, a Republican. that
Thanksgiving dinners would cost as much
this year. If not more. than at any time
in recent years.
Democrats promised on the stump that
they would pass a tariff bill that would
reduce prices. Since the passage OF that
law the Bureau OF Trade Statistics, now
in the control of the Democrats, has is
sued a bulletin in which II is pointed out
that prices for foods in the fifteen lead
ing industrial cities of the United States
are higher now than ever before.
Big Advance in Eggs.
Eggs, which were placed on the free
list by the Underwood-Simm bill, are
selling anywhere from 30 to 60 cents a
dozen. while many vegetables that were
free-listed are bringing higher prices nov
than they did under the Republican
tariff
Unless a special commission, or COM
mittee, is named for the purpose the
House Committee on the Judiciary, which
is about TO begin an inquiry into the OPP
erations OF corporations, will pay special
attention to living costs. 1t is understood
the Commissioner of Corporations. who
has announced he will ask Congress to
appropriate $780, 900 to enable him to make
an investigation of the practices of So
called trusts, also will touch on the sub
ject of the cost of living.
There is a good deal of sentiment
among Democrats favorable to a special
inquiry into the cost OF living. although
many of the leaders are inclined to the
belief that the work can be done just
as effectively by the Judiciary Commit
tee and the Commissioner Of Corpora
tons. However. there is a strong prob
ability that a special inquiry will be
authorized.
Rap at Cold Storage.
A concrete proposition dealing with liv-
ing costs has been presented to the House
by Representative McKellar of Tennessee,
a Democrat. Mr.. McKellar charges that
the present high prices exacted for eggs
are due in part to the modern system Of
impounding food products in cold storage
plants. He declares that the law should
lay heavy hands on men who seek to
monopolize food products, or to hold
products in storage with a view to in
creasing prices. Mr.. McKellar has pre-
sented a resolution providing heavy fines
and prison punishments for cold storage
operators who keep perishable food prod
ucts in their warehouses more than ninety
days
Mr.. McKellar insists that the present
high prices for eggs are not due to-
natural trade causes. The census shows
that the production of eggs has con-
stantly increased within the last few
years, and that for period of ten years.
while there was an increase OF = per
cent in population, there has been an
increase of y per cent in production of
eggs" said Mr.. McKellar. Il find that
there are now stored in warehouses in
Pennsylvania ten million dozens OF eggs,
and that 90 per cent Of these have been
in storage since April !. This is probably
relatively the case in every State in the
Union, and the cold storage men seem to
be simply manipulating the market by
creating an artificial scarcity