Royal Meeker to Woodrow Wilson
Title
Royal Meeker to Woodrow Wilson
Creator
Meeker, Royal, 1873-1953
Identifier
WWP25034
Date
1918 August 29
Source
Library of Congress, Woodrow Wilson Papers
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924--Correspondence
Contributor
Anna Phillips
Language
English
Provenance
Document scan was taken from Library of Congress microfilm reel of the Wilson Papers. WWPL volunteers transcribed the text.
Text
My dear Mr. President:
I beg leave to suggest that you appoint immediately a Textile and Clothing Administrator to bring about regulation and control of the prices and qualities of textiles and clothing in the same way as the Food Administrator has regulated and controlled the qualities and prices of foodstuffs. The benefits to the people from the activities of the Food Administration are statistically demonstrable, and the need for a similar policy of regulation and control of textiles and clothing is likewise demonstrable by the statistical method.
The Food Administration began its activities in May, 1917. For your information I enclose a tabular statement showing variations in prices of food and clothing at wholesale and variations in prices of food at retail. The index numbers are calculated on the basis that 1913 equals 100.
Unfortunately, we have no strictly comparable figures showing variations in prices of clothing at retail for the whole country. We do not know the changes in prices of clothing in the shipbuilding centers in which we have made cost of living studies. The percentage price changes in these cities were computed on the basis that 1914 equals 100 because it was impossible to get dependable price data as far back as 1913.
You will note that the wholesale food index in May, 1917, was 191, while in July, 1918, it was 185, being a decrease of more than 3 per cent since May, 1917. On the other hand, the wholesale cloths and clothing index in May, 1917 was 173, while in July, 1918, it was 249, being an increase of more than 44 per cent. Surely there is a reason. No one would have the temerity to say that a scarcity exists any more in textiles than in food. Neither has the demand for clothing increased to a greater extent than the demand for foodstuffs. The difference between the decrease of more than 3 per cent in average prices at wholesale of foodstuffs and the increase of more than 44 per cent in the average prices at wholesale of clothing represents the difference between public control of prices in the interests of the people and private control of prices for the benefit of the private price controllers.
Quite naturally the Food Administration has been able to control wholesale prices much more effectively than retail prices. You will note that the retail food index for May, 1917, was 151 and that there has been a pretty consistent increase in retail food prices from that date to July, 1918, when the retail food index reaches 167, showing a percentage increase of more than 10 per cent.
The increase in cost of food in the families studied in our cost of living investigation is less than that shown in our retail food price index, although it is not possible to compare family expenditures in May, 1917, with July, 1918. We are now tabulating the retail prices for August, 1918, of the different items consumed by workingmen’s families, as found in the shipbuilding centers included in our budget study. The figures thus far obtained are from Southern cities only and show that clothing has increased in price since 1914 from 91 ½ per cent to 127 per cent. Furniture and furnishings purchased by workingmen show an increase in these same cities of from 104 to 131 per cent. Expenditures for clothing constituted from 11 to 14 per cent of the total family budget in Southern cities and from 15 to 16 per cent of the total family budget in Northern cities. Food is, of course, a much more important item, ranging from 45 to 54 per cent of the total family expenditures in Southern cities and from 40 to 45 per cent in Northern cities. Next in importance to expenditures for food, however, come expenditures for clothing, and prices of clothing have increased already to an alarming extent. Dry goods merchants are frightening people to death and inducing them to purchase much more clothing than they have any earthly need for by telling them that the prices of the new stocks of clothing are to be much higher than they are now.
I sincerely trust that you will seriously consider my suggestion and at once take steps to transfer the regulation and control of clothing consumption and prices from the hands of private individuals intent on acquiring profits to the hands of a competent public Administrator charged with the duty and vested with the authority to see to it that the people obtain standard goods at reasonable prices.
Sincerely yours,
(Signed) Royal Meeker,
Commissioner of Labor Statistics.
Enclosure.
The President,
The White House,
Washington, D. C.
Index numbers of wholesale prices of food and cloths and clothing and of retail prices of food in the United States, January, 1917, to July, 1918.
(1913 = 100)
____________________________________________________
: Food articles : Cloths and : Food articles :
Year and month : at : clothing at : at :
: wholesale : wholesale : retail :
____________________________________________________
: : : :
1917. : : : :
: : : :
January : 150 : 161 : 128 :
February : 160 : 162 : 133 :
March : 161 : 163 : 133 :
April : 182 : 169 : 145 :
May : 191 : 173 : 151 :
June : 187 : 179 : 152 :
July : 180 : 187 : 146 :
August : 180 : 193 : 149 :
September : 178 : 193 : 153 :
October : 183 : 191 : 157 :
November : 184 : 202 : 155 :
December : 185 : 206 : 157 :
: : : :
1918. : : : :
: : : :
January : 188 : 209 : 160 :
February : 187 : 213 : 161 :
March : 178 : 220 : 154 :
April : 179 : 230 : 154 :
May : 178 : 234 : 158 :
June : 180 : 243 : 162 :
July : 185 : 249 : 167 :
Index numbers of wholesale prices of food and cloths and clothing and of retail prices of food in the United States, January, 1917, to July, 1918.
(1913 = 100)
____________________________________________________
: Food articles : Cloths and : Food articles :
Year and month : at : clothing at : at :
: wholesale : wholesale : retail :
____________________________________________________
: : : :
1917. : : : :
: : : :
January : 150 : 161 : 128 :
February : 160 : 162 : 133 :
March : 161 : 163 : 133 :
April : 182 : 169 : 145 :
May : 191 : 173 : 151 :
June : 187 : 179 : 152 :
July : 180 : 187 : 146 :
August : 180 : 193 : 149 :
September : 178 : 193 : 153 :
October : 183 : 191 : 157 :
November : 184 : 202 : 155 :
December : 185 : 206 : 157 :
: : : :
1918. : : : :
: : : :
January : 188 : 209 : 160 :
February : 187 : 213 : 161 :
March : 178 : 220 : 154 :
April : 179 : 230 : 154 :
May : 178 : 234 : 158 :
June : 180 : 243 : 162 :
July : 185 : 249 : 167 :
I beg leave to suggest that you appoint immediately a Textile and Clothing Administrator to bring about regulation and control of the prices and qualities of textiles and clothing in the same way as the Food Administrator has regulated and controlled the qualities and prices of foodstuffs. The benefits to the people from the activities of the Food Administration are statistically demonstrable, and the need for a similar policy of regulation and control of textiles and clothing is likewise demonstrable by the statistical method.
The Food Administration began its activities in May, 1917. For your information I enclose a tabular statement showing variations in prices of food and clothing at wholesale and variations in prices of food at retail. The index numbers are calculated on the basis that 1913 equals 100.
Unfortunately, we have no strictly comparable figures showing variations in prices of clothing at retail for the whole country. We do not know the changes in prices of clothing in the shipbuilding centers in which we have made cost of living studies. The percentage price changes in these cities were computed on the basis that 1914 equals 100 because it was impossible to get dependable price data as far back as 1913.
You will note that the wholesale food index in May, 1917, was 191, while in July, 1918, it was 185, being a decrease of more than 3 per cent since May, 1917. On the other hand, the wholesale cloths and clothing index in May, 1917 was 173, while in July, 1918, it was 249, being an increase of more than 44 per cent. Surely there is a reason. No one would have the temerity to say that a scarcity exists any more in textiles than in food. Neither has the demand for clothing increased to a greater extent than the demand for foodstuffs. The difference between the decrease of more than 3 per cent in average prices at wholesale of foodstuffs and the increase of more than 44 per cent in the average prices at wholesale of clothing represents the difference between public control of prices in the interests of the people and private control of prices for the benefit of the private price controllers.
Quite naturally the Food Administration has been able to control wholesale prices much more effectively than retail prices. You will note that the retail food index for May, 1917, was 151 and that there has been a pretty consistent increase in retail food prices from that date to July, 1918, when the retail food index reaches 167, showing a percentage increase of more than 10 per cent.
The increase in cost of food in the families studied in our cost of living investigation is less than that shown in our retail food price index, although it is not possible to compare family expenditures in May, 1917, with July, 1918. We are now tabulating the retail prices for August, 1918, of the different items consumed by workingmen’s families, as found in the shipbuilding centers included in our budget study. The figures thus far obtained are from Southern cities only and show that clothing has increased in price since 1914 from 91 ½ per cent to 127 per cent. Furniture and furnishings purchased by workingmen show an increase in these same cities of from 104 to 131 per cent. Expenditures for clothing constituted from 11 to 14 per cent of the total family budget in Southern cities and from 15 to 16 per cent of the total family budget in Northern cities. Food is, of course, a much more important item, ranging from 45 to 54 per cent of the total family expenditures in Southern cities and from 40 to 45 per cent in Northern cities. Next in importance to expenditures for food, however, come expenditures for clothing, and prices of clothing have increased already to an alarming extent. Dry goods merchants are frightening people to death and inducing them to purchase much more clothing than they have any earthly need for by telling them that the prices of the new stocks of clothing are to be much higher than they are now.
I sincerely trust that you will seriously consider my suggestion and at once take steps to transfer the regulation and control of clothing consumption and prices from the hands of private individuals intent on acquiring profits to the hands of a competent public Administrator charged with the duty and vested with the authority to see to it that the people obtain standard goods at reasonable prices.
Sincerely yours,
(Signed) Royal Meeker,
Commissioner of Labor Statistics.
Enclosure.
The President,
The White House,
Washington, D. C.
Index numbers of wholesale prices of food and cloths and clothing and of retail prices of food in the United States, January, 1917, to July, 1918.
(1913 = 100)
____________________________________________________
: Food articles : Cloths and : Food articles :
Year and month : at : clothing at : at :
: wholesale : wholesale : retail :
____________________________________________________
: : : :
1917. : : : :
: : : :
January : 150 : 161 : 128 :
February : 160 : 162 : 133 :
March : 161 : 163 : 133 :
April : 182 : 169 : 145 :
May : 191 : 173 : 151 :
June : 187 : 179 : 152 :
July : 180 : 187 : 146 :
August : 180 : 193 : 149 :
September : 178 : 193 : 153 :
October : 183 : 191 : 157 :
November : 184 : 202 : 155 :
December : 185 : 206 : 157 :
: : : :
1918. : : : :
: : : :
January : 188 : 209 : 160 :
February : 187 : 213 : 161 :
March : 178 : 220 : 154 :
April : 179 : 230 : 154 :
May : 178 : 234 : 158 :
June : 180 : 243 : 162 :
July : 185 : 249 : 167 :
Index numbers of wholesale prices of food and cloths and clothing and of retail prices of food in the United States, January, 1917, to July, 1918.
(1913 = 100)
____________________________________________________
: Food articles : Cloths and : Food articles :
Year and month : at : clothing at : at :
: wholesale : wholesale : retail :
____________________________________________________
: : : :
1917. : : : :
: : : :
January : 150 : 161 : 128 :
February : 160 : 162 : 133 :
March : 161 : 163 : 133 :
April : 182 : 169 : 145 :
May : 191 : 173 : 151 :
June : 187 : 179 : 152 :
July : 180 : 187 : 146 :
August : 180 : 193 : 149 :
September : 178 : 193 : 153 :
October : 183 : 191 : 157 :
November : 184 : 202 : 155 :
December : 185 : 206 : 157 :
: : : :
1918. : : : :
: : : :
January : 188 : 209 : 160 :
February : 187 : 213 : 161 :
March : 178 : 220 : 154 :
April : 179 : 230 : 154 :
May : 178 : 234 : 158 :
June : 180 : 243 : 162 :
July : 185 : 249 : 167 :
Original Format
Letter
To
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Files
Collection
Citation
Meeker, Royal, 1873-1953, “Royal Meeker to Woodrow Wilson,” 1918 August 29, WWP25034, World War I Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.