Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1901-11-27
COST OF LIVING GREAT Err
Increase in Prices of Food Products
Throughout the Country.
HIGH MEAT RATES TO CONTINUE
Farmers Find 1t Moro Profitable tn Sell
MIX and Corn Than to Furnish Yea,
and Pork - Price OF Meat Highest In
Nine Eesrs--The Grocery Trndo Situn-
tion-Enect or Corn Crop Failure.

New York City.-Whatever nav be
the influences, natural or artificial. at
work. it can no longer be disputed that
food products. not only in New York
City but throughout the country. are
steadily rising in price In groceries
this new and startling DEVELOPMENT
is rot so marked and ii Is said bv
inaLy to be of only temporary na.
tire. In meats the situation is one
to concern not only the housekeeper
but the meat trade itself.
One butcher said that the presen;
price of meats is the highest that he
has known in nine years: that is the
highest price to be maintained for any
length of time. During the winter of
lS9o-96 prices were slightly higher for
q brief period
one wholesale dealer of this trades
man acquaintance, who, during hiR
forty years experience in the whole.
sale meat trade has travelled all oven,
the West. remarked to him recently
that there would be no cheap beef for
Il year or two 10 come. AT the preseht
time. the butcher added, all meats.
with the exception of veal, cost the
consumer two cents more than In fhe
summer. Veal itself is six cents
nigher.
Ihls increase came suddenly about
the first week in SepremO Der, the dealer
explained, and there was no in1iica-
tlon or Il return 10 former prices.s In
stead, he predicted that the pride of
meats will Increase from cent to a
cent and Il half within the next three
weeks. and he is OF the opinion, tina.
these abnormal rates will continue for
three or four years.
Further. he said, the rise OF six cents
pound in veal was due to the good
prices obtainable at present for milk.
Farmers find that they can get more
profit out of milk than out of cal. and
are allowing their calves to become
cows.
Many reasons are advanced, for the
Increase in cattle and hog products.
The principal one is the failrtre of the
corn crop. Farmers estimate that for
each bushel of corn eight hounds of
merchantable pork should accrue.
with a price Of SIX and TIN zee quarter
cents for pork, the farmer has total
OF hfty-four cents as returns from
MS DuShel OF corn, to set t.; ;tgainst sev-
enty-hve cents, which his corn com
mands.
This line OF Agricultural reasoning
also applies TO cattle, and durin- the
year thousands OF acres which were
formerly devoted 10 grazing were
plowed and planted for grain. The
'cornslalk disease" has also thinned
the ranks OF the beef Producers, and
the heavy losses on ranches in winter.
due TO inadequate housing, have by no
means decreased. All tnese have com
bined 10 make costs higher TO the
consumer.
While systematic eff orts will doubt
less be made to remedy this existinr
shortage and farmers outside the great
cattle districts will probably turn their
attention 10 the busi ness 20 take ad
vantage of the present high prices. il
is generally conceded. that those prices
cannot De materially altered for some
time 10 come.
MeanWhlie, the ciittlemen, with de-
pleted herds, are forced TO raise their
prices, the wholesalers are compelled
10 follow, ana the fetailers are in turn
lalu unuer the necessity of levyinS
increased tribute upon the army OF
consumers.
IN the grocery trade the situation
IS very uiHerent' and If any vegeta-
DieS or fruits haFe advanced in price
tne increase mas been directly tracea-
Dle 10 crop ialiuIres, as in apples AMI
potatoes. fresh laid eggs and butter
are higher tnanl usual, but this WAS
fNpialheu Dy one groceryman as mere
IS tne annual W inter increase in price
The marked Use in cold storage eggs
was the WORK OF "a coordination"
which. he said, cornere( this section
or the market, as it had done last
winter. Canlhed goods were higher.
owing TO the Irise in the price of tin.
but with the exception of oats. prac-
tically very9hing else was ON nor
L-al basis.