Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-01-23

1T has been the common saying, for some
months past, that "hard-pan' has been
reached-that prices had reached the bot
tom figure. While this is undoubtedly
true, but few people, probably, are aware
of the fact that the great staples are lower
in price than they have been for thirty
years. \ leading trade paper, the Imcri.
cuH GrVcCr has prepared careful tables
the course of wholesale prices of
food staples from 1870 to1Ssl. From these
it appears that there has been Il steady and
constant decline. The record of the de
cline in sugar is very remarkable. At the
close of 1874 fair refining Cuban sugar was
sold Cor ~ cents, the lowest quotation
since lS54. In 1870 it cost over four cents
per pound to refine sugar, while to-day it
costs no more, if not less, than one-half
cent per pound. The average price Of
coffee (fair BioJ declined from liz
to l2l3 in $50 (haying touched as
high rs 22 in 1870, to from 93L to ~
in 1854. Tea which sold at from 81
to 80 i'll 1870 was sold in 1854 at from 90 j,
to %. formulated sugar declined steadily
from IN average of 10 cents in 1870, to an
average of 81 cents in lsS4 The average
price of mess pork in 1870 was S26.s in
1854 it was $3.50; lard in 1870 averaged
Sl51-l2, and III 1854 sold at from $3.50 to
SlO,O2 butter fell from 81 to 80 in 1870, to
from 20 to % in 1854 cheese (best factory
from IL y to lSi2 in 1870 to from 124 to
l23i in 1851 Canned goods which now
form large fraction of our winter food
supplies, show the same steady decline Of
prices since 1870, Canned corn, which
cost 50 i'll $50, only costs from 90 cents to
$l.2O in 1854, and canned tomatoes that
were sold at S2.lO in the former were
bought for 30 cents in the latter year.
October ISIS, was a date at which the
lowest prices that had ruled for many
years were reached, but they are much
lower now than then; so that a careful
computation shows that 800 will now
buy just as much as Sl05 would nave
bought in October, ISIS. When resumption
of specie payments was accomplished in
1879 the readjustcd range of prices for the
ncceSsaries of life showed an average de
crease Of ID per cent below those OF 1860.
The prices of December last, and which
are still substantially maintained, show Il
uuCn greater falling off as compared with
1850; falling off which may he measured
by saying that 500 now would buy as
much as Sl25 in August, 1860 Taking II
survey of the various article, of necessary
daily consumption, there il found to he an
average lowering Of prices Of 20 per cent
compared with 1869. l'rcadstuffs have de
cllned - per cent; sugar, tea, and coffee,
- per cent; clothing, % per cent; coal
and oil 10 per cent; metal fl per cent
only in three classes Of articles of general
consumption do the prevailing price lists
SHOW an increase over those of the lowest
priced month (August of 1860 Liquors
and tobacco at wholesale are 80 per cent
higher now than then, the result of taxa
ton; meats are per cent higher dairy
and garden produce are per cent higher.
Commenting on these figures the Boston
IrdrCitCr well says:
These figures convey their encouraging
lessons alike to traders and consumers.
They show that the conditions of life. as
indicated by the cost of its neCcSSaricS,
have been steadily growing better for the
great mass of our people. If they are be
ing obliged to accept slightly lower wages
us compared with years gone by, they
have the compensation Of Il still larger IT,
ductlon IN the prices of food staples, and
of clothing. To our merchants and trades
men they show that il il Il time ut which
they need not be afraid of carrying large
stocks. The railing prices are lar below
/ the average OF the past fifteen years, and
from this time on the risk Of buying lib
orally Is small, Il, a reaction to higher
prices Is i'll the natural course of events It
he looked for. When the pendulum has
swung to the extreme limit of its arc Its
next movement must he back again.