Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-05-11

FREQUENT DATA
ON LIVING COSTS
New Plan to be Help In
Wage Adjust
mentS
TO COLLABORATE
TO COLLABORATE
Hoover to Join With Davis in Se-
curing and Publishing Statistics-Io
be Used as Index

+! Washington, May 1l.-Arrange-
mcnts were made today to have the
| Department of Commerce Cooperate
| with the Department If Labor IN
getting out figures on the cost of
| livirg. It is expected that the aid
riven BY the Department of Com
merce will make possible the publ
cation of findings several tines a
year, instead Of twice a year, as at
present.
Figures covering all phases of the
cost of living problem, from the
standpoint of the substantial mechan
ic. have been issuod in the past by
thc Department of Labor in Decem-
Der and June. Figures on the cost
| Of foods have been put out monthly
| Lately, it has been contended by
those interested in the cost of liv-
ing, AS it relates to pending indus
| t,,ai! problems, that the sen,iannual
IA ement on the cost of living as
a whole is not sufficiently fresh
when released to be reliable guide,
in wage disputes. and that the month
" reports on food costs are not
sufficient.
To meet the need for complete Il"
ures. compiled so quickly as to be
pertinent to current conditions, it
was, suerected that the CeAus Bu-
reau, in the Department of Com
merce. he used to supplement the
work cone by the Blreau of Stats
tics of the Department Of Labor,
which, under Ethelbert Stewart. has
been compiling the figures. Sccre-
tarr Hoover, Of the Department of
Comm merce. was strongly in favor OF
e,ch a plan, and it was brought 10
the attention of the President, who
approved.
Today the President said that the
Department Of Labor has men 10 do
The work, and the Department Of
Commerce has resources to help dc
it quickly, so that seemed like good
teamwork TO lirk the two and get
reports on the cost Of living quickly.
He did not go into details. Secrc-
ta,y Davis said after the Cabinet
meeting that the work would con-
tinuc to be done in his department
and that the details Of the co-opera
ito with the Department Of COM
mcrce would be worked out tomor-
row at conference between himself
and Secretary Hoover. It is report
cd, however. that the findings OF
facts will be given the public by
Secretary Hoover.
]. is expected, from what the
President said. that the field force Of
the Department of Labor vii! con-
time to gather the data. aided in
some aspects Of the work by agents
Of the Census Bureau. and that the
| compilation and analysis of the data
| will be made by the Census Bureau.
This may work out in such a way
| .hat the energies of the force in the
Labor Department will be concen-
trated almost constantly on gather
/ ing data, and the Census Bureau
will be used to whip the data into
the shape Of conclusions. at inter-
vas of month or so, instead OF
the conclus;c2S coming CIT twice a
year.
| IF that result can be obtained Of
ficialS high in the Administration
believe that a long step will have
been taken toward settlement Of
wage problems so far as those prob
lens are caused by differences as TO
the fluctuations in the cost of living
If an official statement of the cost
of living to the average working
mans family comes out once a
monTh, or once eerrF TWO months, II
must be taken by all pa:-ti". a
wage controversy, it is believed. as
a reliable index. The charge of OBJ
solescence cannot lie against official
living Cost statements made with
that frequency, in the opinion OF
officials.
Secretary Recover, who has been
interested in bringing about. the ar
rangement, gave out a statement
Yesterday afternoon in which he said
J "'rhe arrangement to combine The
materials and staff of the Census