Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/125

 ECCENTRIC OFFICIAL STATISTICS III

The application of the foregoing remark would seem more obvious were it not for the fact that, according to the statement of the arti- cles in the two reports found on p. 238, with few exceptions the arti- cles omitted from the present report are those easily identified, and which have a market price. The principal change in the group "Cloths and Clothing" is the addition of a number of articles, the only omission being broadcloth and blankets.

There certainly could be no more difficulty in obtaining prices of window glass than of putty, and yet in the group "Lumber and Build- ing Material" we find the more important article omitted and putty included. While putty had fallen, glass, for the period covered by the report, had advanced. In December, 1899, however, there was a cut of from 30 to 40 per cent. It is generally understood that this cut was made in order to freeze out or bring to terms the numerous small establishments outside the glass trust.

The other omissions from this group are oxide of zinc, largely used in the manufacture of paints, and plate glass. The prices of these articles are both controlled by a trust, that of the former being considerably higher than in 1890, and that of the latter having greatly advanced during the last two or three years.

To the food group we find added baked beans, and omitted lamb and potatoes; while coffee, which fell in price from 20^ cents in 1890 to 6^4 cents in 1899, is retained. Such a fall is plainly abnormal, and not indicative of the course of prices. The author remarks (p. 243) : " The criteria whether a price is normal are not found in the prices them- selves, but in all the surrounding circumstances." The high price of coffee in 1890 was the result of a blight which attacked the principal source of supply the coffee plantations of Brazil and the subse- quent fall the result of the later abundant production.

It seems an error to have included this price series, and also two price series of spices, nutmegs, and pepper, each of which shows a con- siderable fall in price. To have taken the average of the two latter articles as one series would be in accordance with the rule generally followed in this investigation. Another exception to this rule we find in steel, the articles steel billets and steel rails being each made a series. Yet, notwithstanding the weight given to these articles, which had con- siderably fallen in price, the group " Metals and Implements " shows a slight advance from January, 1890, to July, 1899, which is in marked contrast with the fall of 25 per cent, from 1860, and of 35 per cent, (gold value) from 1873 to 1891, shown by the Aldrich report.