The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-04-03
IS STILL UNSOLVED.
PARTY IN POWER is ~ TROUBLE
OVER HIGH COST or
LIVING.
STATISTICS CAUSE A FUSS
Price Reports of Bureau of Labor In
Controversy--Republicans Attack
the Tariff Policy of the
Democrats.
BY GEORGE CLINTON


having some little trouble through the
sui unsolved problem of the high coGt
OF living. Not long ago a member CT
the Industrial commission report-d,
without supplementary explain tiolg.
that there were 5000 unemployed
persons in New York city. This the
Republicans seized instantly GO a
basis for criticism Of the Democrats
tarin policy, saying the reductions in
the rates were responsible for the
unemployed.
The industrial commission is a 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 Democratic
official In way is charged with re-
sponsibility therefor. The bureau Of
labor statistics gets out retail price
reports and In one of It's recent ones
it 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 its 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 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
IStt1tl PttCC oldlAoNANo. &c soy . 49, A--N
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 15 food commodities have
| been carefully selected after years or
experimenting.
"A larger 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 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.
| "Clearlv increases and decreases In
nrices 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
fail price index boots and shoes. mems
and women's clothing. and houses rent
ais. This is very desirable. but as yet
II has not been practicable for rea'
sons explained above.
| 'It would also be very desirable to
extend retail price statistics TO include
a large number of cities and a larger
number OF stores in those cities Gov
cred This cannot be done at present
because of lack OF funds.
Democrat. Progressive and Repubn
can leaders still claim oradmit, which
ever way you want to put It, that the
marty which can present the best plan
IN hiring down the high cost of living
win he the one eventually not only to
secure control of the government. but
n keen It for a long time. 1t readily
can he seen from the Importance
which is placed upon this matter by
the marty men why 1t was that the
Democrats were perturbed when q
Democratic official without any ex
nlanation of the reasons therefor saio
that 10000 persons were out OF worn
N New York city and when another
democratic Official was charged Will
\ having put forth statistics tending &c
show that prices of food and neces
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 part,
at a disadvantage.
states Rights Doctrine.
The Democratic party always has
heen a psrty OF states rights and to
4 a. narhans curfousiy enough. IL Il