The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1910-11-19
MERCHANTS ASSURE US THAT THEY
CAN SEE A LOWERING
FRUIT PRICES ARE ALL RISING
All Products OF Corn Should Lower
Hams are Very Cheap Because OF an
OveTstock.

The metropolitan press has been tell
ing us for week back that prices OF
food stuffs, especially the meat prices,
are to take drop. The wholesalers
auote figures TO show that the prices
(ruling now are less than those that
vhaye ruled for quiet while.
1t frequently happens that while
prices lower in tine wholesale market
they do not lower. in the local markets
and to find out the facts as they relats
to our retailers and the disposition OF
our local merchants reporter for The
Diamond Drill called on some of our
leading grocers during the week.
Viano Osterberg. of Osterberg d
Co., in response to our inquiry, stated
that he had seen the articles in the
newspapers about the prices OF meat
dropping but that he had not noticed
any drop in the prices this week be-
cause the meat car don't arrive until
Fridays and then the merchants learn
the prices on fresh meats for the week.
He is quite certain. however. that
this weeks prices will be lower than
those of the past and also stated that
prices have had downward tendency
for some time.
"You can assure the people OF Crys-
tai Falls that there will be a drop In
meat prices next week. | don't know
lust what they will be but think IL
will he about 2.cents per pound right
through. / expect to see boiling down
to i0-cts. ard steak down to 10 and 10
cts. before many. weeks roll by, said
Mr.. Osterberg.
There has been sagging in gen
sral produce prices. excepting all kinds
Of dried fruits which are on the in
crease. Take for instance Druues
They are nalf again as high now as
they were a year ago and what is true
of prunes is true oil all dried fruits
with the exception of raisins
''I expect to see all food stutfs that
are the products OF corn, or into whicn
corn enters work considerably lower
and in my Judgment they will go
down. Take starch, syrup and all
articles OF that class. they are made
mostly of corn and cron is much lower
than il was year ago.
"what about pork the reporter in.
quired.
. WELL pork IS high yet. / haven't
seen this weeks quotations but you
couldn't buy whole hog last week
less than 10 cts Bacon is abnormaily
high and account for 1t in this way.
Corn was so high the last two years
tnat the hogs were small and the bacon
crop was a very inferior article. AS
a result the price on bacon advanced
for there is an increasing demand for
that article.
Now, take hams They are away
down now. Hams are the cheapest OF
the meat articles now, whereas last
year they were very nigh. rne pack
ers are swamped with hams and are
WO'kluB buciu VII an ihbs ho bhVJ Soh'
They attempted to advance the price of
hams to keep pace with bacon and the
demands dropped off greatly so that
the surplus stock piled up in large pro-
portion.
"But, il is not alone food prices that
ought to lower as result OF the drop
ping in prices. IL seems to me thai
the prices OF boots and shoes ought to
drop verv much for hides are worth
but Sets in Milwaukee now against
l4-cents last year and the year pre-.
vious.
"You can assure your readers that
there will be n lowering of meat prices
in particular and think in all prices
before the first OF the year.