Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-06-19
The Era of Low Prices.

From the New York Tribune
There has never been time in the pre-
vious history of this country when manu-
factured goods as a whole could be pur-
chased so cheaply as they can now. The
goods in which there has been any advance
during the last year are remarkably few in
number, and in proportion to the aggregate
consumption are quite insignificant. All
the great classes of manufactured goods,
the products which represent large pro-
portion of the entire consumption of such
articles, are lower or as low at this time as
ever before. Many kinds of cotton goods,
for instance, and among them those of the
largest consumption, are at the lowest
prices ever made. Boots and shoes are not
only about as low as at any other time in
forty years, but considering the wonderful
improvement in qualities sold under the
same name since the last period of low
prices, are really much cheaper than ever
before. This is also true of wooden goods,
of the qualities most largely consumed
though a few grades that are used only by
the wealthy and may properly be cassed
as articles of luxury, have been advanced.
Nominally pig-iron costs a little more than
it did at the lowest point ever touched in
1873, but it may fairly be questioned
whether the quality of iron then classed as
No. l anthracite foundry was superior to
grades which are now selling at about as
low a price.
These are facts generally known to man
ufacturers and merchants in the different
trades, and to most buyers also, where they
have open or honest markets to deal in.
Occasionally there come to light even now
instances of dealers, generally in remote
and isolated towns, who are charging out
rageous prices for goods and >windling con-
sumers on the preteXt that the new tariff
lean Economist recently receive note
of inquiry from town i'm South Dakota
with samples of goods bought there. An
indigo print, out of date and scarcely sell
ing at all in this market now, standard
brands selling at ) IL cents per yard, was
selling in this Dakota town at - cents. and
double and twist denms." of lighter
weight than the standard which sells here
at 10 to 10 - cents, was selling in that
town for 20 cents. The exposure of the
swindling dealer will doubtless have its
rightful effect on his business in the future.
But in most cases. an in nearly all parts
of the country, the prices of manufactured
goods are so low that consumers can get
better articles than they could ever before
obtain for the same money. This is in
great part the direct effect of protective
system which has encouraged home pro-
ductiOn and home competition to the ut
most. Now and then a manufacturer is
found who would much prefer to have
lower range of duties, such as would pre-
vent a further development of industries
in this country, and leave h m a profitable
monopoly But the producers as a rule are
in accord with the consumers. They real
ize that control of the American market,
by far the largest and the most rapidly
growing in all the world, gives them the
best chance for progress and prosperity
they can possibly have. even though there
must come with it sharp competition of do
nestle consumers AMI narrow margins of
profit.
The thing most needed at this time is to
force upon the attention of the people in
all parts OF the country the fact that they
are now entitled to, and in most cases actu-
ally get, lower prices for the products of
protected industries as a whole than at any
previous time. If there are other cases
of persistent swindling by dealers like the
one reported from Dakota. local Republi-
can journals or active Republicans can rem
der no better service to their party or their
country than by exposing them. 1t will
cost only little to send samples, with state
ments of prices paid, to those in this or
other cities who can readily consult whole
sale dealers and forward the information
desired. Meanwhile, prices of farm prod
ucts are relatively higher than they have
been for some years past, and while il is
neither fair nor sensible to attribute that
change wholly to the operations of the new
tariff, it is nevertheless decided and
practical benefit to the farmers, which
they cannot fail to appreciate.