Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-10-09
PRICES TOO HIGH.
Feeling That Charges Are Apprcach- ing the Consumers "GO Without" Point-Conseryatism Pre-.
 yailS in Trade.
New York Journal of Commerce.

New 1ork Journal of Commerce.
 There is a growing feeling in the grocery trade, both iobbing and re- tail that the limit of high prices is about reached, although nothing has yet appeared to indicate any slack ening of retail demand on thar ac- count That prices are at record mark is admitted everywhere and ev- eryone knows full we'll that there will be a point at which the con- sumer vii halt and refuse to take the goods-a go without point.
 This has already been forecasted somewhat in disposition to accept substitutes all along the line, goods which are cheaper than the lines the discriminating buyer might usually demand.
 Much of the steady consumption arises from the fact that the consum- CTS in many sections have not vet fully felt the full effect of the prevail ing prices. Jobbers and retailers alike have hoped against hope that the-prices would decline and have ac- cordingly deferred their advances of price to, old customers But the limit has already come on that and few jobbers are now sufficiently phi lanthropic to longer act as the elastic quantity and absorb the changes. The retailer, too, is waking to the fact that he cannot safely do busi- ness without a profit, and is push ing his burdens along. The result will shortly be reaction; the con- sumer will not take the goods and the retailer will be left with them on his hands. Fortunately, both classes of grocers, wholesale and re- tail, have anticipated some such sit nation, and for weeks past conserva- tism has marked all lines of trade, and no one has any great stock of anything on hand. The only dan gerous fact is that every line is on the same inflated basis.
 From the buyers standpoint, it is reasonably certain that few more
 weeks will find the control again
 shlfted from the packer to the job
 Der. To-day the packer is skine,
 but the drain on his resources of
 goods is so rapid that it is evident the jobbers will by the first of Jan
 uarH, perhaps a month earlier, have
 all the goods available. There will
 be new line of trade of jobber buy
 ing from jobber, at even greater prices than are now charged by first hands. Each subdivision of the
 available stock will inforce another increase until spring may find a schedule of prices almost approach ing famine proportions. This coup led with the go without policy of
 the consumer, is causing deal of serious thought among the leaders
 of the trade.
 With the bulk of the new pack crops in hand or so nearly in hand as to be safely reckoned, it is evil
 dent that the staple luxuries, as
 canned vegetables, canned fruits, dried fruits, canned and boxed fish.
 canned and smoked meats, preserves, etc., will have all have to be reck-
 oned as delicacies. In this situation
 the bulk of the demand will be thrown to the cereals and their
 secondary products. Owing to a
 clever campaign manufacturers of
 patent cereal foods have gradually
 secured practical control of even
 the bulk supply of cereals and by their own large purchases have fore ed market for bulk goods which
 is almost as high as the same quan-
 titias of the patented package
 goods. Deliveries of both these lines of cereals are already three to four weeks behind and prices are at record height. Wherefore, it. looks as though everything in the l. grocery line, bulk tor package, fam cy or staple; necessary of for lux ury, will be remarkably short during l the winter. < .z..,as X