Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-03-31
IS STILL UNs0LVED
PARTY IN POWER is IN TRouBl
OVER HIGH COST OF
LIVING.
STATISTICS CAUSE A FUSS
Price Reports of Bureaus of Labor In
Controversy--Repubiicans Attack
the Tariff Policy of the
Democrats.
BY GEORGE CLINTON

BY GEORGE CLINTON
/ Washington-The party i'll power is
having some little trouble through the
still unsolved problem of the high cost
of living. Not lons ago a member of
the Industrial commission reported,
without supplementary explanations,
that there were 100000 unemployed
persons in New York city. This the
Republicans seized instantly as a
basis for criticism of the Democrats
tariff policy, saying the reductions in
the rates were responsible for the
unemployed.
The industrial commission is Q gov
eminent body and the majority of its
members are Democrats. Naturally
there was some Democratic resent
ment that party commission should
say things to hurt the party without
giving any explanation as TO the rea-
sons for the things said A quick ex-
PLANTATION was coming from the COM
mission that the number Of unem-
ployed was no greater this winter
than in other winters.
Now in the high cost of living mat
ter the Democrats again are having
some little trouble and a Democratic
official in way is charged with re-
sponslbility therefor. The bureau OF
labor statistics gets out retail price
reports and in one of its recent ones
1t was shown that the cost of living
is as high as ever. Instantly New
York man, said to be an expert in
such matters, challenged the statistics
bureau and said that it's figures were
too high.
Hits Back at Critics.
Now the commissioner of labor sta
tistics, Royal Meeker. appointed to the
office by Woodrow Wilson, has come
back at his critics and in a longer
answer he gives the manner in which
the bureau arrived at its retail price
conclusions and virtually challenges
anybody successfully to dispute the
recently published statistics.
One thing which will probably be
of specific interest to the country is
Mr. Meeker's explanation of the way
that the bureau gathers and complies
retail price statistics. He says IN his
answer to his critics:
Retail prices are secured from $40
stores scattered throughout 40 rep
resentative cities of the United States.
These stores are carefully selected by
the agents of the bureau. No "cut
rate" or fancy" stores are taken.
Stores that trade largely with work
ingmen's families are chosen. These
stores send in to the bureau the actual
sales prices on the fifteenth 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 cor
rect The Is food commodities have
been carefully selected after years of
experimenting.
"a larger number of commodities
was originally included in the bureaus
plans and would be desirable, but 1t
is impossible to get reliable prices of
fish, coffee, fresh apples, fresh vege-
tables, canned goods, ETC., because the
qu Atty of the same description of an
article varies capriciously. Mocha
Java blend coffee, for example, does
not mean the same thing from store
to store, or from time to time.
A Difficult Problem.
Clearly increases and decreases In
prices cannot be traced from prices
Of articles that are one thing at one
time and something different at an
other time or several different things
at one and the same time. The bureau
has long been wrestling with the prob
lem Of getting quotations OF more
foodstuffs and of including in its re-
tail price index boots and shoes, mems
and cwomen's clothing, and houses rent
ais. This is very desirable, but as yet
it has not been practicable for rea-
sons explained above.
at would also be very desirable to
extend retail price statistics to include
a large number of cities and larger
number Of stores in those cities COW
cred. This cannot be done at present
because of lack Of funds"
Democrat, Progressive and Republi-
can leaders still claim or admit, which
ever way you want to put 1t, that the
party which can present the best plan
to bring down the high cost of living
will be the one eventually not only to
secure control Of the government, but
to keep it for long time. 1t readily
can be seen from the Importance
which is placed upon this matter by
the party men why 1t was that the
Democrats were perturbed when a
Democratic official without any ex-
PLANTATION of the reasons therefor said
that 100000 persons were out OF work
in New York city and when another
Democratic official was charged with
having put forth statistics tending to
saries are higher than they really are.
The Democrats consider that the two
criticisms have been successfully met
and charge that they were prompted
solely by the desire of political op-
ponents to put the dominant party
at a disadvantage.
States Rights Doctrine.
The Democratic party always has
been a party of states rights and to.
day, perhaps curiously enough, 1t is
having trouble to stand consistently
by its ancient opinions and yet To pass
the antitrust bills In the form which
1t desires them to take. The bill
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