The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-01-23
PRICES AND WAGES.
Few Figures for Employers to
a Look Over.

NAIL In
10 ,be Editor of THE HERALD;
10 '-s ~. surprised to notice the editorial
w" poaded "Prices" in your issue
zen avn morning, and as 1 am sure THh
sunuIJ is desirious of being fair to all
d Lae / thought I would point out a
pa. more inaccuracies in the statements
ls .ntoined in the item referred to-
co us mistaken idea thatmostarticles
trom 10 to 80 per cent. cheaper than
are Il .,nre - = wear ago. In fact there is
they Nv Va ANYTHING that is lower priced
scarC?.y los twelve months since.
ih a - in regard TO staple groceries:
fHs' l. about 1915 per 100 pounds
spg-1 than it was then, and has now
chsa lE;Sad inward tendency. Flour is
CO. "a cents per 100 cheaper; coal
P rs considerably dearer,i tea, Gomez,
ooa ~ goods, soap and all other items
:; The the list Of groceries are Just the same
~ thew have been fer years.
d In relation to cottons, there are per
us few items which are at the out
I I;5a < ner cent. lower this season, but
SUI sllS have strong upward tendency and
my ,rbole cottons are now lower, the
49,; ~ rates on some few items being due
r I've 10 market fluctuations than to
nv o+ber cause. Exactly the same may
d.! soid of Woolens. Boots and shoes,
aeo INST the same as they were last year,
az change. Clothing is not any cheaper.
60 houses may have increased their
foo;jities for buying in this branch, but
his does not make the goods any lower
70 tll' the retail purchaser, for those houses
40 NOT cut retail prices to correspond
18th the reduction they get themselves,
bn It'l make a larger percentage, that is all.
Won next mention table ware, by
,rbicb I presume, you mean glass,
crocterv cutlery, etc. On all of these
Tens il YOU will investigate, you
w;W find there is no reduction
for the retail buyer. Kitchen furni-
rnre comes next on your list,
meaning. l suppose, such articles
as stoves, etc. Now, the fact is, that
stoves and all such merchandise are
lust as dear as they were several years
ago and a family does not buy more
than two stoves a month anyway.
Now let us look at the difference in
the prices of sugar and -four. About a
wear ago dry granulated sugar was
worth about ST. per 100 pounds; to-day
il is worth $3.50, difference OF $3.50, or
a little less than % per cent. lower than
it was then. Flour is about so cents
per 100 pounds cheaper, or about Is per
cent. Now, according to the arguments
and actions of some, wages should be
reduced from 20 to 30 per cent. on their
account. Let US look for a movement at
. this position: One hundred and fifty
pounds of sugar will last an economical
family of five persons one year. Twelve
sacks, or twelve hundred pounds of
-four will last the same time or even
longer; the difference in cost between
now and a year ago on these items
would be about 1915 on the sugar and Sc
on the -four, or total in the year OF the
enormous sum of 1915. The reduction
in wages on a person earning $50 per
month would be 20 per cent. $120 for the
year, and on a person earning 500 per
month just double the amount or $240.
Or even say the reduction is only 10 per
cent, then it would be $50 AMI $40 res
pectively upon the salaries named, so
that according to the argument used in
your article OF Sunday morning, q man
should be "contented" to accept such a
1918. l say temporary, because the
prices are liable at any time to 90 up
to their old figure; indeed, sugar has
advanced SOC pr. 100 lbs in the last week
or two.
And allow me to say, further, that it
IS not such things as sugar and
Hour that cost the housekeeper the
the most in the course of year, but
the clothing, boots and shoes, stock
lngs, hats, underwear and other items
OF dress for themselves and children, on
which the merchant clears his IS to so
per cent. profit between the cost and re-
tau prices of the goods, and on these
thlngs there Is positively no reduction.
VI course, l mean no reduction to the
retail buyer, for some merchants are
constantly enlarging their business, and
are able to buy in larger quantities, and
OBTAIN lover prices, which enables them
70 make heavier profits, for it must be
porne In mind that it is only on a few
staple articles, on which competition is
close, that retail prices are changed
with every huctuation of the wholesale
market
II Is a false cry, this one about lower
prices nov as compared with those of a
year or two ago.
Ill, mere may be reasons why wages in
some places should be reduced but this
certainly Is not one, and il will take
nose Whe urge italong time to convince
NE working man that he can live ten to
o onL[.}y per cent. cheaper now than he
coulu Twelve months ago, for the simple
reason that it is not true
Yours respectfully,
ToILER.