Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-11-18
HIGH AND HIGHER
SOAR THE PRICES
Grocer Says This Winter Will
Mark Record in Cost Of
Things Eatable.
NO END Is YET IN SIGHT
Various Reasons Ascribed to Account
Fer Rise Of Different
Commodities.

Those who eat may look upon the
prominent local grocer to an Argus
representative. Why do you know 50
he said. that prices on the most neces-
sary things are going rapidly upward
and not even the grocer. who is sup
posed to know all things. can fathom
the condition now prevailing and make
proper explanation to the people as
to the reasons for the great advance in
the cost Of living.
Quotes Some High Prices.
The latest sensation. and IL comes
on the heels of the election. is the
great advance in the price of sugar.
This article has advanced In price 30
cents per hundred pounds and the end
Is not yet Such an advance at this
| time of the year Is an unheard OF thing
and Is difficult for us to- explain TO the
people who will complain of this. but
you interview the wholesale men an /
see what they have to say on the SUB
ject-
Sugar is not the only thing that has
raised in price. Flour is now selling
at from $50 to s1.75 per sack with a
of advance still further.
Egg Market Cornered.
Butter and eggs are up. too. and
the supply of both limited. This is
from different causes. however. The
pasturage being short, the price of
butter has gone up rapidly. but an I'm
natural agency enters into the price of
eggs. I know IL to- be an actual fact
that the egg market Is cornered by the
packers. who absolutely control tic
price of eggs from this time on.
Poultry. including chickens AMI
turkeys. are on the crest, too. About
the cheapest thing in the market just
now are vegetables but aside from ap,
pies. potatoes. turnips and a few other
things. no great supply of these can be
purchased for the winter. The prospect
for an unusually severe winter for
people of all classes seems certain"
Talk With Wholesalers.
Acting upon the advice of the retail
dealer. the reporter interviewed the
wholesale dealer regarding the big ad-
vance in sugar.
Advanced? Well. | should say il
has" said he pleasantly In answer TO
the question. THE price of sugar has
advanced 80 cents per hundred in the
last two weeks. and for the next year
IL will be extremely high. Prices for
next July delivery are quoted to the
wholesale dealer at s.35 per hundred
and to this must be added the profit of
both wholesale and retail handler and
the size of the bag Of sugar which the
customer will get for a dollar will be
small indeed.
No Relief In sight.
There is absolutely no relief in sight
until another crop is grown and the
a series of rapid rises which will
greatly affect the price of the commod-
ity. The price has advanced in Cuba
recently a cent per hundred and con-
tracts are made ahead at higher prices
for future delivery. The causes Of this
rise in the price are the increase in
the consumption and the failure of the
beet sugar crop in Germany. II has
been estimated that the present crop
is short to the amount of 456.S2G bar
rels. an enormous amount when the to-
tai output is taken into consideration.
y raise at this time of the year is very
rare. The New Orleans crop and the
beet sugar crop of the country are just
now being marketed. but the presence
of this supply cuts no figure with the