The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-26
NOT THE AMERICAN PARTY,

1t is encouraging TO see that the
church organ has lifted its eyes above
the immediate horizon sufficiently to
see that it is not the American party
Of Salt Lake that has caused n general
rise in prices throughout the world. a
short while ago nothing would suit
that organ but that we must admit
the American party as the blamewor-
thy culprit for IT all, But now there
is Il change On Monday evening II
discussed the cold storage question,
prices during the Civil war, and the
abundance of everything generally as
shown by the optimistic report Of the
q. S. Secretary of Agriculture, and not
word about the American party be
ing 10. blame for it all.
The general rise in prices is discussed
| by economists all over the world. A
good many of them come 10 the con
clusion that the great production OF
gold is the responsible factor. Others
dispute this. and point out that the rise
| in prices bears n much higher ratio to
the former prices than the added crop
of gold bears to the amount of gold
on hand prior TO the great increase in
production, The London Economist g
index number of commodities on Janu-
ary lst shows 1890. an advance of 81
points in one month and of 1913 points
over year ago. For the year the prin
cipal contributors TO the rise were cot
ton, hemp. flax, wheat, tin, and iron.
Except for the single year from Oc
tober, 1906, To November, 1907, it is
the highest index number in thirty
wears The cheapest period we have
had at any time in this country was
after the currency panic of 1907 got
fairly under way.
To what extent tho boycott against
to forctell. AS matter of fact, how
ever, so far as this immediate region
is concerned. the meat prices are not
so seriously above normal as prices of
other foodstuifs. The great trouble,
as we believe, is not in the extensive
production of gold, not in the natural
rise of the market because of increased
demand, but by reason of combination
and speculative trust control. 1t has
been pretty well established in this
city that the retailers are not so much
to blame, because the wholesalers re
quire of them TO exact certain prices,
and if they do not they are unable to
obtain supplies; and the wholesalers
claim that they are bound because they
have to paw such high prices TO the
producer
1t is likely that the matter Will re-
ceive pretty fair test in this city
within the near future, if the movement
now under way for direct dealing be
tween the farmers and the consumers
takes practical form. The City Coun-
ell is asked to establish a market place
whore the farmers can drive in with
their wagons and sell direct from them
TO the household buyer. Perhaps more
than one place would be advisable for
that traffic, The movement seems to be
pretty firmly rooted, and to be well
supported. It will be an interesting
experiment to see just what effect this
will have; and we hope that it will be
an agreeable one both to the household
ers Of this city and to the farmers, BY
all means it should be given a faithful
and thorough trial and the merits of
the proposition to have direct dealing
between the producer and the consumer
practically and eXhaustlvely tested, so
as to see whether by that means relief
can be had.