The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-30

ton has put some things up that I could
sell cheaper than the present market
price and still realize handsomely on
them The main trouble lies with the
wholesalers. Morning after morning I
have called up every. wholesale butcher
and grocer In Salt Lake to find every con-
Germ quoting identical prices on different
articles Of food. Maybe the prices would
be several cents higher than those quoted
the night before. If so, il always hap
pened that the wholesalers all raised 81
multaneOusly the next day. l know that
there is a strong working agreement be
tween the wholesalers by which they call
up each other daily and agree on prices
for the current day.
Don't Dare Cut Prices.
What would happen if tomorrow morn
ing you cut the price of flour below what
you have been notified to sell it for by
Secretary Jensen OF the Butchers and
Grocers' association he was asked.
Why, 1 would probably be notified 70
put the price up again, and If in couple
of days l didn't do it 1 would have trouble
getting any more flour from local whole
Salers when my supply ran out. In fact,
l wouldn't be able 20 get any, probably"
was the grocer's answer.
William Young, proprietor of YOungs
cafe, was emphatic in his statements yes
/ terday that the wholesalers have put
prices on prohibitive basis.
I don't believe the retailers ave en-
! tirely to blame. I buy from the whole
sale houses Last year l paid $3.50 per
case for asparagus. Two weeks ago ]
called up every wholesaler in town and
every one of them asked me SS-25 a case
for the same grade of asparagus. That is
just an incident Certain articles will be
certain price afternoons when ] leave
here and in the morning when I come
down l will call up the wholesalers and
ask for prices on that same commodity.
only to find them raised Every place
l call up will quote me just what every
T--n- 81
it. a commodity going up 100 per cent
over night and every wholesale concern
in town quoting you exactly the same
price ON it. I have experienced rises in
prices like that so often 1 simply cease
to wonder at it and take what comes.
am positive there IS a binding agreement
in effect today among the wholesalers.
Want Investigating Committee.
"Tbe B.. & G. do not need to talk =
| the restaurant men about high prices
at the prices I am charging today
had only the volume of business l n 3
when those prices went into effect L
could not exist. 1t is only the fact tt iC
| am doing much heavier business than
! ever before that enables me to maintain
my prices
| other DEVELOPMENTS came into the field
| last night. The directors of the NJ q
1 NJ met at the Chamber of Commerce and
adopted a resolution asking that a COM
mittee of two men from each of the fol-
I
| Estate association, Commercial club,
| the State Fair association the
Butchers and Grocers' association, be
appointed to Immediately investigate the
| cost of high living in Salt Lake
The latest charge to be made against
| the B. & G. is that that organization
went TO the regular truck and market
gardeners, who supply the local retailers
I and told them that If they would not
! Deddle their produce about the city
themselves, but would bring it to Mar
ket row they would be guaranteed from
/ Is to % per cent higher prices for the
produce than could be secured in house
/ to house canvass
| Certain it is that the peddling OF fresh
produce about salt Lake is practically
| at a standstill as far as the truck gar
| deners are concerned. The gardeners take
| their produce to market, the retailers
| pay them better prices than the house
/ wife would and as result the farmer
! goes home and the people get theirs from
/ The directors of the NJ & NJ. last night
/ did not in any way discuss the action Of
| the real estate men in Directing to the
/ 3. & @. association occupying the Cham
/ Der of Commerce building, nor did they
/ discuss the proposition of going with the
/ b & G.. outside the chamber or Of total
/ " dissOiving the working agreement
/ Such was Chairman Bruffs astonishing
/ statement after the meeting was over.
/ we don't know just what We will do;
/ it wasn't talked over tonight" he de-
| clared.
Chicago Prices Lower.
From every quarter of the city and
| from the surrounding towns are coming
letters and reports of prices in various
! outside towns as compared with local
| prices, and the local condition is given
| some hard jOlts.
Quoted above are the prices prevailing
at Halliday. south of Salt Lake, town
| whose merchants are compelled TO come
TO Salt Lake by team, buy their goods
I and haul them home again. Yet they can
Continued on Page 8.