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Show AC 1 IHi&llP1 Ohio Senator Offers Explanation Ex-planation People Are Very Extravagant i Washington, July 30. Senator Burton Bur-ton of Ohio oxplnjned to tho senate today the reasons fxvhlch he holds responsible re-sponsible lor the present high cost of living. The manifest and Important causes, he said, jerc "tho phenomenal phenom-enal progress of recent yoars, the striking inequality iof this progress in different linos of; human endeavor, and tho tondonclc-s to extravagance and waste and to diminished productive produc-tive energy by a Uarge part of tho population." "Nefthor tho 'Payne-AJdrich tariff law nor any other similar measure was responsible for the general high prices," he declared, "for tho variations varia-tions in prices have been so very considerable, con-siderable, both in the way of increase in-crease and decrease, as absolutely to disprove any inferonce that the change in prices has been duo to the tariff of 1909 or to any other tariff act." He exonerated tho "trusts" and "largo combinations of capital," declaring de-claring ,thatt a complete monopoly In .any particular" arilclo uflTords a chance to increase Its price, hut that the same result Is apparent when separate sepa-rate producers maintain an agreement ns to the prices "One of the serious influences tending tend-ing to Increase prices," he asserted, "Is one of price agreements of x'ari-ous x'ari-ous sorts It was one of the purposes pur-poses of tho Sherman anti-trust act to prevent practices of this sort. How-oxer, How-oxer, there can be little doubt that this practice still continues." Gives Other Causes. Another "device" 'resorted to to eliminate competition, he declared, was that of "hiding behind tho patent pat-ent right." Ho referred to a recent supreme court decision, under which the "user of a patented article may be required to buy supplies of a certain cer-tain make and pay the price Imposed " In regard to the progress of tho ago as a factor In high prices Senator Burton said that "tho conveniences and luxuries of one generation are regarded re-garded as necessities In the next. Even In humblo homes a standard of living Is made possible which was beyond the fondest hope entertained by generations that have scarooly passed away." Better homes, fooj and clothing; tho desire for a wider outlook, which Is afforded by a higher education, and insistent demand for leiburo and amusements xx-ere elements, ho said, xvhlch were adding to the burden of lifo on the cost side, although aiding it In many other ways. He quoted foreigners showing a marked Increase In the consumption of staple articles, such as cotton, corn, sugar and so on, and thon added that expendlturoH for luxuries shoxved a much higher percentage of increase. The rapidly growing cost of government govern-ment national, state and municipal xvas adding to the cost of life, he said, the expenditures of tho federal government gov-ernment having increased 122 per cent from 1890 to 1910. Cost of Armamennte. "To these must bei added," Senator Burton continued, "the oppressive burden of military and naval armaments, arma-ments, now Involving a cost to the civilized nations of two billion dollars dol-lars a year, an economic waste which Imposes an almost unendurable burden bur-den upon the world's' resources. Tho exponse of tho naval establishment of the United States for the year 1890 was $22,0OG,20G; in 1010 It was $123-173,717." $123-173,717." As to increase In municipal taxation rntes, ho quoted from New York city statistics, showing that the per capita cap-ita tax rate there had Increased 71 percent from 1890 to 1910. Speaking of tho "unequal progress in tho different linos of ondoax'or that supply human wants." Senator Burton Bur-ton said: "It Is evident that the science working work-ing through invention and improx'ed methods has not accomplished the same result In agriculture as In manufactures. man-ufactures. Although considerable progress has been made in tho production pro-duction of agricultural products to tho market and serving thorn for use, the portion has Increased to the dealer deal-er and to the middle man rather than to Lhep roducer "Tho Improvements In agricultural machinery hax'e been very considerable, considera-ble, but have wrought no revolution, such as has been achieved in xarious linen of manufactuie " Ah to cxtmxagance and waste, be declared that It xvas the tendency In every progressive era. |