Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-13
Send in Prices Monthly.

These stores send in TO the bureau the
actual sales prices on the 18th of each
month of the fifteen food commodities
carried by the bureau. Agents visit The
reporting stores annually to make sure
that the reports sent In are correct the
fifteen food commodities have been care
fully selected after years of experiment
ing.
"A large number of commodities was
originally included in the bureaus
plans and would be desirable. but it Is
impossible to get reliable prices of
FISH. coffee, fresh apples. fresh vege-
tables. canned goods, etc. because the
quality of the same description of an
article varies so capriciously. Mocha
Java blend of coffee. for example, does
not mean the same thing from store to
store or from time to time. Occasion
ally the identical grade Of coffee taken
from the same bag is sold under diff
ferent names at different prices In the
same store. Clearly increases and de-
creases in prices can not be traced
from prices of articles that are one
thing at one time and something diff
ferent at another time or several diff
ferent things at one and the same time
The bureau has long been wrestling
win the problem of getting quota
tons of more foodstuffs and Of includ-
ing IN its retail price index boots and
SHOES. mems and women's clothing and
house rentals
Funds Are Lacking.
1t would also be desirable to extend
retail price statistics to include a
larger number of cities and a larger
number of stores in those cities now
covered. This can not be done at pres
ent because of lack of funds
With all their imperfections. the hu-
reau statistics of retail prices are truly
representative of food prices in the larger
cltles situated in the different economic
sections OF the country. They are GER
talnly UNNECESSARILY more deserving of
credence than the gossip about individ-
ual experience with prices which is cited
10 refute them. The stores chosen are so
typ1cally representative that 1t is doubt
full if doubling the number of stores re-
porting would change the relative prices
pE as much as one per cent. It must be
brought out and emphasized that prices
nave increased upon the cheaper grades
OF meats and substitutes for meats in
hiSher priced meats. It probably would
make but little difference in the general
price relative for foodstuffs If a larger
NUMBER OF them were included in the
bureau statistics The extent to which
american workfngmen have been able to
substitute cheaper food for meats as
prices have increased can only be- accu-
rateiy determined by a new inyestira-
lion INTO the expenditures of typical
Worklngmen's families Such a survey
was planned several years ago ana
shortly after I assumed charge Of rho
bureau, September l. 1913, was again con-
Sldered, and has been postponed only
because OF the lack of funds
Criticism Welcomed.
As to criticisms which have coma -
ms bureau from time to time about the
food statistics, Mr.. Meeker points out that
his bureau not only welcomes, but has
often solicited criticism, questions and
suggestions relating to the publications
of the bureau
The difficulties Of gathering trust
worthy price and wage statistics and
computing price and wage indexes which
accurately measure changes in price lev
els and rates of wages render this sta
tistfcal work of the bureau or any other
agency engaged in the like activities espe-
ciallv liable to criticism. An estimate is
better than guess, however, and a sta
tistical statement is better than an esti-
mate.
The critic who wishes to reform the
work Of the bureau Of labor statistics
must be able to suggest something bet
ter than estimates and guesses to super
sede the statistics issued by the bureau
upon the basis of records of actual sales
The bureau exercises the utmost care in
gathering and compiling price and wage
data. Its statistics are by no means Der-
feet. but they register price and wage
variations quite accurately The methods
employed by the bureau in gathering and
compiling statistics are being constantly
improved