The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-03
t(Hon. William B. Wilson, Secretary
 of IabOrl


 American prices since the beginning of the European war, July 31, 1914, have ruled far lower than the for eign world level The United States In 1916 stands among nations as the country where living is the most req sonable in price and the highest in quality.
 The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of La bor finds that the relative average price for all American food products at retail was 1O7 in April, 1916, as compared with 95 in April, 1914. This Is an increase of 12 points, or 12.6 per cent during nearly two years of the war.
 But (the report continues), Ion May l, the increase in the retail prices of food in Great Britain since the beginning of the war was 55 per cent" N
 The average increase in the British cost of living, measured by retail food prices, therefore, has been four times the American increase and the Brit ish have been the most favored of all belligerent European nations because tof their command of the seas by their navy and merchant marine and their consequent freedom of the markets % of the world in the aprohase of food
 German prices are available only on meat and provisions, and the in- crease on these products have ranged from 100 per cent to 200 per cent. while in Austria the increases have climbed to 500 per, cenh
 Among the neutral countries, per haps the most favored during the war period arc lne Scandinavian nations by reason of their great merchant fleets and the enterprise of their mer- chantmen and seamen. Here is the Labor Department report on prices in Norway:
 i "In Norway prices of 27 household necessaries were 65 per cent. highor in February 1916, than in 1911"
 In Christiana the average for all prices compared with 1914 was higb- CT by 34 per cent. In Stockholm, 1915, prices were 23 per cent. over 1913. For Sweden as a whole, salt herring was 73.9 per cent. and beans 1239 per cent, higher. In Zurich, Switzerland, oatmeal had risen 133 per cent. In Italy, even macaroni and spaghetti had risen 32.6 per cent. In the Netherlands, butter was higher by 12S per cent. In Vienna, fore quarter, beef which before the war was worth 6 cents to 16, cents per pound, had risen to as hifh as AS < cents and pork cost the housekeeper 40 cents to 55 cents.
 In the face of world price conditions therefore, the American consumer may congratulate himself that, though there has been an increase of about 1926 per cent. in the Ameri- can cost of food during two years of the most widespread and devastat- ing war in the worlds history, this increase, which has gone to the Amer ican farmer, is only a. trifle compared with his large gains in prosperity, and he is today the most favored con- sumner in the world.
 Price is relative, and is a measure of supply and demand. In staple commodities of general world con- sumption, where, in a free market world conditions govern prices. we may say that the price ip given country is high or low in proportion as it differs, from the world level. On that basis, which is the basis not only of economies but of modern business, American prices during the past two years of the European war have been low
 They have been enough lower than the world level to pay exoribtant transportation and commission charges on $2,50o, 100000 worth of American manufactured goods and s4,s6o,0Oo, 900 of American products, all told, from American mills and fo cfo fn E,IIr and all other foreign markets on the seven seas.
 Consider how radically the re- verse of this position was that which prevailed under the high protective tariffs and other artificial barriers notably the trust agreements of the era of trust organization, 18s6-1912- of the days of Republican Administa- ton.
 During that period, because of the radically higher prices of trust-made manufactured goods in this country , aJ compared with prices abroad, high protective tariffs were resorted to in order to protect the artificial level of American factoy pices from foreign competition The averabe Payne tar if duty on dutiable goods was about 42 per cent. which the protected ben eficiaries claimed was necessary to make up the difference between the American and European cost levels. :.
 Under Republican tariff protection of trusts against foreign competition, American consumers were taxed $2,- 500,0 900, 900 per annum in extra prices over and above the prices at which the tariff beneficiaries sold goods in foreign markets.
 The average American family spending $1,000 year for living ex- penses paid $10O as tribute to tariff beneficiaries.
 I The price of tin plate (Pittsburgh) to the American consumer was $50 per ton, when the export price to for eign consumers was s60.
 Steel rails to American builders were $2S when the export price was SPA. Structural steel was s33 for American building, and BPS for ex- port.
 Machinists' hammers which were $66O per dozen for American me- chanics were quoted at $5 for ex- port baby carriage was $12.70 for an American mother and $9.50 for export. The family meat chopper was quoted at $1.87 for an American home and 93 cents for foreign sale; and so on down the Republican tariff protected list.
 Moreover, under Republican pro- tection American exports were only v,it