The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-04-13
AN OLD IPSWICH LAW
1T WAS FRAMED TO PREVENT MO-
NOPOLY AND OPPRESSION.

bodies law OF lfII that was an at |
tempt of the municipal authorities of |
the town of Ipswich, in Massachusetts, |
to fix prices in that town.
The enactment of this law is proba- |
bly, the first instance, in this country |
at least, of a governing body to take in |
hand the regulation of prices to be |
paid for labor and commodities.
The headlines of this curious colo
NAL bill read as follows:
The
PRICE ACT
OR, THE
List OF the Prices
FORCE
IN THE TOWN OF
IPSWICH,
for the Prevention of
Monopoly and Oppression
At meeting of Seectmen and
Committees of Correspondence, Inspection and
Safety, in
Ipswich, February 10, 1777
Here are the rates at which cloth
ing was to be sold:
"Stockings.-Men's Best Yarn Stock
ings at 6s. pair and in that proper
ton for an inferior quality.
'Men's Shoes.-Men's Best Shoes.
made in this Town, of the common
sort, at SIS. pair, and for other shoes
in proportion to their size and quality.
"Calamanco Shoes.-Women's best
G. Ditto, at 6s. pair.
Leather Shoes. - Women's shoes
made of good Leather, at 5s. 4d. a
pair, and other shoes in proportion to
their size and quality, and for making
ch in hn
Ye ancient tavern keeper of Ipswich
| was by this law obliged to charge his
guest for a breakfast or supper
one shilling, and for a dinner 'of boiled
and roasted meats, with other articles
equivalent, exclusive of wine," one
shilling six pence. For lodging the
charge was to be four pence.
The rate for hack hire was fixed at
eight pence mile and for the hire Of
'single horse" five pence a mile.
A barber's pay for shaving by the
| year, emitting a person to one shave a
| week, was to be six shillings eight
pence. transient customers" were to
pay the barber -four coppers time"
The prices of alcoholic drinks were
| given in greatest detail:
| "West-India Flip.-Flip made of
| West-India rum, at 10d. mug or
| bowl
England Flip.-Flip made of
New-England rum, at Sd. a mug or
bowl
"West-India Toddy.-Toddy made of
| West-India rum. 10d. a mug or bowl.
| "NewEngland Toddy.-Sd.
| "Distillers.-For distilling Rum from
| Molasses, 4d. gallon"
| To dig a grave for "grown person"
| tolling one bell and attendance upon
the funeral, a sections charge was to
be five shillings, land for children in
proportion" And Furthermore to do
away with extortion in funeral charges
the price of a coffin was legally deter
mined by the good fathers of this old
| town-"a Plain Pine Coffin, blackened,
for a grown person, 9s. and lesser ones
in proportion" was their decree on this
subject.
The rate to be paid to laborers and
to craftsmen was fixed and quantity
worded thus:
"Laborers.-Iaborers at 2s. Sd. a
day, from the tenth day of April to the
first day of July; and for moving, 3s
I'D. day; and for other Labor from
the first day of July to the last day OF
September, that is equivalent fol
hardness at IS. 4d. day and found as
usual; and Labor at other seasons OF
the year in proportion according to an
cient custom.
"House Carpenters.-House Carpen
ters, at 3s Cd. day, and found as
usual Joiners, at 3s. 4d. day, and
found as usual.
"Curriers-For currying a Dickera
BILE Hide, As, and other Hides in pro.
portion.
"Taylors.-For making a common
suit of Cloaths, 20s., and other Cloaths
in proportion. And by the day, at 3s. a
day"
The prices on meats and provisions
were fixed thus:
"Beef, grass-fed, Sd. pound.
"Beef. stall-fed, 4d. pound.
"Lamb, I'D. a pound.
"Mutton, 4d. pound.
"Veal, 4d. pound.
"Fresh Pork, sd. a pound.
"Ducks, sd. pound.
Turkeys, sd. pound.
"Fresh Cod, Id. pound.
milk, at I'd. quart"
That there were no bakeshops an(
that every family made their owl
bread is evident from the fact tha
there was no price fixed on bread, bu
on the raw material-flour, which wa
rated thus:
Flour imported from Southern
States, 30S. hundred.
"Home Flour made in the State, 25s
dittO."-NeW York Evening Post