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Show HiBU GDSTGF LIVING GREAT VARIETY OF CAUSES SHOWN TO ,BE5 RESPONSIBLE FOR PRESENT CONDITION. Senate Committee Appointed to Investigate In-vestigate the Cause for Advance In Prices Reports Its Findings, But Decision is Not Unanimous. Washington. Tho majority report of the special senate committee appointed ap-pointed to Investigate the causes for tho increased cost of living, was submitted sub-mitted to tho scnato on Thursday by Senator Lodge, chairman of the committee. com-mittee. Tho Republicans, and Democrats Demo-crats failed to agree. A meeting wub hold prior to the presentation of tho report and tho minority members of tho committee protested against tho character of the findings. After a long argument the minority wus authorized to employ an expert to go over tho report of tho majority and prepare tho minority views for submission to the senate. Tho report mado by Senator Lodgo was an exhaustive one, compiled from testimony given by forty-ono witnesses, wit-nesses, reports received from aonsuls and from foreign governments. Tho majority of tho commltteo found that of the many causes contributing con-tributing to. the advnnco In prices tho following were most marked: Increased demand for farm products and food. Shifting of population from food-producing food-producing to food-consuming occupations occupa-tions and localities. Immigration to food-consuming localities. lo-calities. Reduced fertility of land, resulting in lower average production or In Increased In-creased expenditures for fertilization. Increased banking facilities In agricultural agri-cultural localities, which enabled farmers to hold their crops and market mar-ket them to tho best advantage. It was found that this not only steadied stead-ied prices, but had a tendency to Increase In-crease them. Reduced supply and convenient transportation facilities of such commodities com-modities as timber. Cold storage plants, which result In preventing extreme fluctuations of prices of certain commodities with tho seasons, but, by enabling the wholesalers to buy and sell at tho best posslblo advantage, tend to ad-vanco ad-vanco prices. Increased cost of distribution. Industrial combination. Organizations of producers or dealers. deal-ers. Advertising. Money supply. Over-capltallzatlon. Higher standard of living. Tho tariff Is discussed at great length, and tho conclusion was reached by tho majority of the committee com-mittee it Had been "no material factor fac-tor In causing the advance In prices during the last decade." |