The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-09-06
The Expense of Living Shows a
Marked Advance.
Flour Takes the Lead, Other
Provisions Follow.
ALL CEREALS GO UP.
Potato Crop is Short and Prices
Are High.
The Consumer is Paying the
Price Of Prosperity.

chicago, sept. 6.-The necessities OF lire
are mounting the price ladder in the ex-
act proportion that wheat and farm pro-
ducts climbing in value. The retail
provision dealers of the city have been
readjusting their price lists for week
past in order to protect themselves
against the new condition of things, and
today the schedule will be in general use.
Flour is the basis of the readjustment
and it's higher price traces of course di-
reetly back to the jump in the wheat mar
ket. Every cent that wheat has advance
ed in the quotations has meant an adj
vance of cents on barrel of -four The
ratio in which flour has been marked up
is that which also rules in the changed
prices of all preparations made from
wheat.
From this time on flour that has been
selling from 81 to S. a barrel will COM
mand upward of Sc. None of the high
grades of -four can henceforth be bought
under $5.75.
On a percentage estimate all cereal
goods, the most essential from a provis-
ion standpoint, have been marked up Is
and 80 per cent in the last three months.
In some cases the increase has been
gradual, in others it has come abruptly
inside of two and three weeks. Wheat
goods have naturally experienced the ex-
treme of suddenness.
The grocery products of corn and oats
have nevertheless climbed upward to
nearly the same limiting per cent, though
the time taken has been longer.
The food neeessaries of life are, fortu-
nately for the poor-who at the conserva-
tive estimate of dealers themselves will
not receive the benefits of better times
for at least a year yet-nearly all domes-
tic products. Coffee and tea remain at
practically the old prices, but sugar is
again entitled to take place among the
1uxuries. Every retail dealer in the city
has marked the article up three-quarters
of cent a pound.
A blow that comes perhaps hardest of
all to the small householder is the price
of potatoes. Wholesalers are buying the
tubers at So cents a bushel to the car load,
and in turn disposing of them to the re-
tailers at an average of 65 cents bushel.
The one who eats is paying 20 a peck, 50
cents a bushel, or is going hungry. A
year ago at this time the highest retail
price commanded was % cents bushel.
The dealers are excusing themselves in
their act of marking up on the plea that
supply and demand govern the market,
and that the demand now exceeding the
visible supply, they are entitled to the
right of saving themselves from any loss.
Most of them even admit that they are
doing a little more and discounting to
wave. Every retail provision dealer in
Chicago is free to admit that times are
better for him than they have been since
'93, and that the reason is that they can
now sell for higher prices.
I'VE have been marking up our cereals
for the last sixty days" said Charles H.
Slack, land now, for the first time since
the tariff went into effect and wheat be-
gan to rise. we feel that the readjust-
ment is complete. In business sense We
have nothing to complain of under the
new order of things
1.-THE only people who will for a time
feel any hardship are those who will
have to at once begin to pay higher
prices for their necessaries without hav-
ing as yet received any material effects
of better times. Unfortunately this class
is mostly of the city.
''The farmer is selling his wheat, corn
and oats at higher prices than he has
had in many years and he can afford to
pay little more for the things he has to
buy. Besides his purchases propor-
tionately small. The nonproducing city
man, who lives on a salary and hasn't
been allowed an increase yet is the one
who will feel badly used for while.
Undoubtedly the higher prices COM
manded by products means that the
necessaries of life will come higher. Out
side of teas, coffees and sugars, the tariff
affects the grocery line of business like
mine but slightly. Nevertheless, l have
lust finished a new schedule of prices
made necessary by the tariff. The tariff
comes with greatest force against liz
quors, and my customers in the line of
gins, wines and champagnes are finding
that tariff makes a good deal of differ
ence in the price of bottle and a case"
The South Water street provision deal
ers, who control the potato market of
Chicago, are a unit in expressing the be-
lief that the price of potatoes will remain
stationary at best, and is likely to climb.
The potato crop, they say, is a failure all
through the country, and hence the value
of the supply has been already tripled
over that of twelve months ago.
Hruou nau the Fair