Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-08-06
CREDIT AND PRICES.

The movement for the abolition Of the
redit system In local trade, AZ far ~
Practicable. is one in the right direc-
ion. credit has been the ruin Of many
business and the cause OF untold
roublss II has made friends enemies
nd turned brother against brother II
one ~ the wide avenues through
mich temptations to dishonesty enter
,ur communities and homes II shoul1
n, closed I'm the interest Of honesty
,Vth the credit system discredi'ed
hero would be more happiness all
l.,ound 80 the attempt 20 do away
,ith IL deserves all encouragement.
Generally IL should be a. easy, or
asier 20 pay a bill at the time 1t Is
Inc as some time after, II wages OF
srnlngs are paid promptly. we say
aser. because 10 pay for sroceres Z"
ous time after they are consumed or
or clothes after they are worn out j.
not a congorial task, 60 some people
70 as rule. cash payments would
" easier and more satisfying TO all
jartics.
There may be exceptions "A family
nav through sickness. or other circum-
tanccs. be placed in an awkward posi-
ion. temporarily, and need a help'ns
,aud from the store In which the trad
ns has been done, may he for years
30 store keeper with any resources az
m would refuse credit for reasonable
lne under such circumstances He
would carry his customer over tht
uTiculty. rather than see him throwh
ron the resources OF public charity.
But while we heartily endorse the
movement, we fear that the abolition
4 the credit system would not have
my notable effect upon the local cost
# living. To be sure the stores may
ave tho expenses Of book keeping and
.ollecting. but what they save by this
hey will need for the Increased taxes
with which the people Of salt lake
awe been blessed as result Of Amer
can" methods OF government so the
,eople cannot count on the benefits OF
hat saving. The cost Of living VIII IN
raass. rather than decrease, until public
fairs are placed into other hands.
The cost Of living all over the coun-
ny Is higher than it ought to be Bread
costs more than IL ever did, although
We produce more wheat than ever be-
ore According TO authentic figures
he retail price Of -four, in 1898, was
u. so a barrel Now II IL 800 barrel,
md IL bought by the sack. $500 a
.NV n
srice. A little more than one loaf Of
bread now for what used 20 be paid for
.wo ioaves The United states depart
pent Of agriculture IL authority for the
statement that the average wheat crop
Tor the decade that ended In 1895 was
Equivalent 70 "a bushels for each per-
,on. babies Included. For the decade
hat ended In 1905. Sc was rs bushels
q each person. For the three years
hat enled in 1908. the average was 10
bushels. while last year. there were
bushels for each OF Ms.
The following figures. from an article
n Pearsons are rather curious:
'In 1898, the average price OF wheat
according 10 the department OF agricul-
Pure, was "a cents eushel Now II Is
inovering around the dollar mark
About four and y naif bushels OF wheat
are required to make barrel OF -four.
The farmer is therefore receiving sl04
more than he did in 1898 for the wheat
from which a barrel of -four Is made
, rhe consumer, even at 800 barrel,
> paying $3.50 "a barrel more than he
lid in 1898. Buying by the sack. as
ne usually does he pays $3.50 more
-. 4
where between the farmer and consum-
~ 81 46 has disappeared The consum-
2 n paid Il. The farmer didn't get II.
Who got it2 Workingmen In the -four
mills? A little Of 70, maybe. But figure
NJ how little Of increased wages can be
charged against "A single barrel Of -four
BY mill with a big output
In the same article II IL pointed out
That In 1891. when there was not quite
"a dozens OF eggs apiece for us, we paid
% cents a dozen for eggs Now. when
there are more than II dozen apiece for
as. we pay from so 20 IS cents a dozen
THE law Of supply and demand" the
writer shows, taking into account the
Increased production OF eggs, ought
TO make the retail price 16 cents In
stead. tho consumer pays 80 cents n
dozen more than he did In 1891 OF
this increase. the farmer gets 10 cents
Who gets the other "a cents?
Such are the general conditions AZ
for salt Lake. the cost Of living Is
higher than IN most OF the cities Of the
country In prices We now occupy an
altitude comparable TO that Of the val
ley in which we are located. Contrlbut-
ing to that result are many causes
one Of the chief Is misgovernment.
since the misgovernment OF city is a.
expensive as the mismanagemont OF
private affairs.
As TO TANES