The `Gee-Whiz Graph' -- It Appears The Times Was Interested In Creating A `Story'

Editor, The Times:

Many years ago (1954), a small book entitled ``How to Lie with Statistics'' was published. Chapter 5 was titled, ``The Gee-Whiz Graph.'' The front page of The Times on Oct. 24 reminded me of the ``Gee-Whiz Graph.''

Please note that the graph titled ``Retail gas prices'' has a vertical axis from 1.16 to 1.36, an increase of 19 percent. The prices of gasoline cited in the graph compute to an increase of 17.5 percent.

The graph titled ``Crude-oil prices'' has a vertical axis from 20 to 44, an increase of 120 percent. The prices of crude oil cited in the graph compute to an increase of 87.7 percent.

It would be charitable to believe that this large distortion was an accident, but anyone constructing a graph that does not start with zero on the vertical axis has to make a conscious decision about the amount of distortion to introduce into the graph.

It appears The Times was interested in creating a ``story.'' If the numbers were honestly graphed, the story would be that retail gasoline prices have not risen nearly as fast as crude-oil prices.

- Robert Jack, Puyallup