The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-11-10
THE VERMONT TRANSCRIPT.
High Prices


life are showing an unlimited power of
expansion. Each successive advance
is but the precursor of another, and
consumers have hardly time to groan
over one addition to the cost of living
before new burden is laid upon their
already oyertasked incomes. Though
the war is over we are still paying war
prices; though gold is no longer quoted
at one-hfty premium, the purchasing
power Of our paper money has not APP
preciated. Nay, in many important
points we are paying higher prices
than during the war, and greenbacks
are less valuable than in the days
when the nation was struggling with
open traitors in the field and concealed
enemies at home Family flour is
selling at fifteen dollars a barrel; coal
was thirteen dollars a ton Yesterday
it is probably more to-day; all kinds
OF meats are getting beyond the reach
of people of moderate means; and but
ter has become in new sense, golden.
There are, of course, some natural
causes for these high prices. The
production of the country has not kept
pace with the consumption; the abun
dance of money has led to universal
extravaganza, and always is productive
OF high prices But beyond these
natural causes, to which we must sub
INIT until they are removed ON the
one hand 10y AN increase of production,
and on the other 10y decrease of the
amount of paper money in circulation
there are other and improper causes
which have unduly advanced the cost
of the neccsslries of life
Monopolies, we might almost say
conspirucies, have been formed, by
which the supply of prime necessaries
is controlled and the price regulated,
not by the cost of production, but 10y
spectators, whose greed knows nc
limit, and who continue to grow il
their demands so long as the public
INTERESTINGLY submits Coal is an in
stance IN point, both of the existence
, and the success Of these monopohes
T All the anthracite coal supplies to the
Baltimore market is controlled by ;
few men They have contracted a
the mines for all the coal raised, auc
not ton can be procured excep
through them. Competition, with iu
, wholesome effects, Is thus rcudele
8 impossible, and n combination il
which a few capitalists have piimarl
. and the coal dealers "A secondary inter
est, has the power to say absOlutel,
what shall be the cost of an article
which every family must have Th,
cost of coal delivered here does no
exceed eight dollars a ton. We he
lieye it is less, yet it is now sold q
>. twelve dollars, and viii probably, be
fore the winter is over be sold at Gf
i teen We have no data at hand b.
! which to fix the consumption Of Goa
\ i'm the region drawing its supplies from
the Baltimore market but the quantit
is, Of course, large; and this profit o
from four to seven dollars a ton rep
reseuts an aggregate of millions Q
:. dollars of which at least one-half i
~ drawn from the pockets Of the peopl
mot through the operation of tn
i law of demand and supply, but by
" combination wrong in principle an
injurious IN effect
II The same combination exists in re
. gard to wheat, millions of bushels c
which are withheld from the marke
by spectators in the West, and use
:, in forcing up the price beyond tn
; point which would be fixed by the cos
= of production and the relation Of tn
I, supply to the demand of consumer
" Imitators on smaller scale exten
their operations into the market IN a
directions, and everywhere betwee
&c the producer and the consumer ther
= stands the middle man, not confer
+ with fair profits, but scheming an
- cOnspiring to exact the utmost fartf
= ing from the needs of the public.
, Whilst we feel and complain of thes
exactions, it is difficult TO suggest
y remedy. The radical cause is til
~ superabundance of paper money, leaC
- ing to extravaganza on the one han,
- and on the other enabling speculatol
to procure the bank accommodation
: through which they cont ,ol the ma
= kets. We can only have lower price
by return to the specie standar,
and not the least Important busine,
of Congress at its approaching sessio
IN will be the adoption of measures whic
a. may enable the Secretary of the Urea
IL ury to carry out his we'll understood
10 views on this subject.-BaH America