The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-08-12
TREASON
FOR BOOST
IN PRICES
Freight Rates Will Not Add
to Costs. Says National
Security League

should not add materially 60 the cost
IT living In the United States. That's
the statement issued today BY the
National Security league.
beware Of profitcering." said
Charles y. orth. president OF the
league. IN issuing a statement 20 the
public. Many INSCRIPTIONS dealers.
~ added. may use the new rates as
IN excuse TO make large increases in
prices Of everyday commodities.
n9HlrS IN PRICES
NOT JUSTIFIED
Orth's statement reads:
.Nine-tenths OF wisdom Is hcins
Wise In time For which reason. the
National Security league wishes TO
warn the people that tho Increased
FREIGHT rates recently authorized by
the Interstate Commerce commission
20 not justify any rise In the prices
x most Of the things which the pco-
PIE use.
ssTherc Ii great danger. In the opin-
ION Of the league. that the freigh,
rata Increase will be used as an eS.
cnsr or camcufagc for stan further
o<vancing the high cost OF living.
TO many people II will sound not
oqly credible. but convincing. i shop
noupees say they must advance the
nrtcen on eggs or shoes because the
ir~ight charges have been increased
frcm rs 10 20 per cent.
Taking the latter as an example.
& Il viii be seen that. as a matter OF
fhet. the increase In freight rates
nixht Justify an advance Of between
8 ana le cents on each pair Of shoes.
YwQB FREIGHT MOVEMENTS
- LEATHER IN SHOES
'-The explanation Of this issas fol
)Uuo:
sThere are four freight movements
( u the leather In pair Of shoes
al The hide frem the stock farm Ia
the slaughter house.
\ 81 Tue hide from the slaughter house
TO the tAnrer.
tey rhs leather from tho tanner to the
sho~ factory.
f11 fhs shc~s from the shoe factory TO
& the ssor~ which sells them.
As nearly as freight rates on an
nvofnee haul can be- Appropriated.
8 oneh one OF these movements costs.
~ the old rates. rs cents more per
~ pounds. or three-fourths Of cent
~ pound
~An increase Of Is per cent In
lroaGht rates would therefore Increase
11poght rates iSA cents per 100
poun1s. or three-slxteenths OF a cent
yer pound
B Assuming THAT SHOES
WINCH FOUR POUNDS
Assuming that 1--WE pounds Of
~. equal to 2bou, four pounds OF
1on11sf. 80 into pair OF shoes. and
Gnn3 = completed pair Of shoes weighs
1DGP pounds. the Increased cost OF
- reGulting from . IS per cent In.
$1,000 In freight rates would be:
~ : N as s-fse per H.. 1914 Of 1 cent:
~ n ~ 5-fsc per ID. 1915 Of cent.
4 ~ ! N 81 s-ise per 10. 4 Of cent.
- which add. for
fright on eontain-
era say le b.. ais Of cent
.s-ts Of cent
-. - make IL round figures. call II
= e1nes. which would be the actual in.
weAeed cost Of the leather in pair
- shoes under freight rate advance
- IS per cent.
ALLOWING I cent (which II exorbi.
1Ant for the purpose, to cover the act.
nj Increased freight rates on the
o4her material In the shoe. the maxi
mum Increased cost would be cents
= pair. or per cent on S. pair OF
shoes.
Assuming that the entire move
ment Of hide. leather and shoes was
IN = district where the frcights had
been advanced 40 per cent instead OF
Is per cent. tho increased cost would
still be only about cents on a pair
~ shoes.
ALLOW FOR COAL.
MACHINERY. ETC.
III this sum Is doubled to cover in
GreAsed freight on coal. new ma
chtnery and other things which ars
lused In a shoe factory. the maximum
increase on a pair Of shoes would b.
IN the neighborhood OF is cents q
pair. or 2 per cent on an s. pair Of
shoes.
The Same principle applies u
meat. eggs and butter. and prac
ftczily everything else In which trans
portation by rail enters TO any ex
tint.
THE 81 500. 900. 900 advance II
Freight and passenger rates may seen
= huge sum. but. when II Is consld
- that this is not more than 2 pei
oent on the annual production OF th'
farms. factories and mines in thu
United States. proper perspective
can be obtained OF how slightly th'
advance affects the cost and price o