The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-05-26
AnovT nIo,,-PI'RIlcIEa.,

ABOUT hl0A sRicE1.
" Il niGlt ~ sssslls - &c. 40
have be5n IA = believe thAt ~
tariff = wholly rssponsible tot III
high pr4nsA - hDusehok3 nsossd!
te6, to do some figuring for them,
selves. and not take the statements
q aspiring politicians and other male
violent critics.
Let the housekeeper begin with the
item OF meat. This article Of food =
In greater general use than any other.
In the new, tariff law the duty on
meat products is reduced 20 to Is
per cent, and yet the prices Of meat
are higher today than they were be.
fore the downward revision on meat
took place. At once the victims Of
this increased price will reply: That
being the case the meat trust IL to
blame; therefore, break I'D the meat
trust .,....-, !,
The Roosevelt Administration went
after the meat trust, and the Taft ad-
ministration ia doing likewise. with
the result that several Of the big
packers have been indicted. But
while the investigation Of the meat
trust showed that prices have been
advanced to some extent by the pack
ers, every day experience will con-
vince the consumer that the local
dealers have made greater proportion.
ate advances. So these increases in
prices have occurred in the face Of
tariff reductions. Again the consum.
or fepEes: 'Then 60 after the local
dealer" The answer is that the local
dealer cannot be reached except un-
der the state law. and you, MI. Con.
sumner, nave your remedy as a COM
plainant in your local courts.
Now the same thing. has happened
in regard to the prices Of articles up.
on which the tariff has been increas.
ed. For instance, a bonvivant who
was giving dinner, bought a large
bottle Of champagne In a Twin City
Cafe. The regular price of the vine
was 81 but when he came to Day the
bill he found that 50 cents had been
added, "on account OF the increase
in the tariff. Wine is a luxury, and
those who can afford to drink it can
afford to pay the duty, although the
increase of wine duties under the new
law does not justify a so cent in
crease in the selling price of quart
bottle. !,
so, when we look closely into this
question:, it will be found that If
the tariff is such a bad thing for
polltlcal purposes, there are numerous
dealers who are equally to blame for
business purposes. The truth IS that
there mas been an increase in tho
prices OF htuseh oId necessities fo1,ov.
ing the enactment of all tariff laws
and these increases have been made
without regard to whether the duttes
were lowered or whether they were
raised. The public has been educataa
TO expect an increase on account I.
me tariff and dealers have seen to =
mat me public should not be disan.
pointed. -
The duty on boots and shoes wos
reduced when the tariff law was an
acted. Have the prices of boots and
snoes gone down in like proportion .
nave tney gone down at all, They
have not. lucy
Inc duties on all hardware were
reduced. also the DUTIES on ,umhor
and oil. Have the retail prices ~
tnese articles been reduced, Tbev
nave not. Duties on harness and sad.
dlery We're reduced, but the retail,
COST OF saddles and harness is tho
same as 1t was before the tariff re-.
VISION If not higher. And 50 on
through the list. It seems to be- muc,,
easier to swear at Congress and the
PRESIDENT than to berate the local
dealer. Is 1t because you don't trust
the Administration? Or is it because
the local dealer trusts you, and Won
are willing to pay the upset prices for
the accommodation?
W1lllston shut out Berthold in two