The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-03

sented cannot be laid to the avarice OIL
greed of the retailer.
Pork in the Lead.
The most remarkable jump in
prices took place in the pork market
In 1897 pork sold at $3.50 a barrel
the low water figure for the 22 years
In 1910, pork rose to $23.73 a barrel
the rise for the IS years with several
minor fluctuations being gradual. In
January, 1911, the price was quoted
as $22.47. 1t rose to $22.75 in Feb
ruary and then began a gradual de-
cline until it reached $17.56.
In 1890 western salt beef could be
had from the wholesaler at SIS per
barrel. By December, 1911, it had
jumped to $4,000 per barrel
Short ribs sides of bacon, the cheap
est meat listed, cost least in 1896 when
the price dropped to 4 7-1O cents a
pound. It's maximum wholesale price
was in 1910, when the price went to
the price lowered between II cents
and 81 cents. A gradual decline fol-
lowed during the last six n in
1911 and continued until the jump in
price registered during the present
year.
Mutton has been more consistent in
it's rise and fall than any other class
of meat. Its lowest price was reached
in 1894 at a fraction over 6 cents a
pound. Ten cents vas its highest fig
80 10 go @A4A 0aA AA6 ~ 1000 SoN
it has f~luctuated between Z cents in
January to ST cents in May. Lard,
hides and tallow, three other beef
trust products, kept pace in high price
with the meats. Hides cache their
maximum wholesale cost in December,
1911, the final month of the report,
6k cents per pound. Their lowest
wholesale price a 6 2-5 cents a
pound in 1894.
The Jump in Lard.
til .- n
lard from 1897. When it could be pur-
chased for Az cents per pound. was
a little more than IT'S per cent in 1910.
when the trust was demanding 12A
cents a pound. After % years tallow
reached it's high water mark in jan
uary, 1911, when the packers demand
ed ~ cents per pound for it.
Dressed poultry sold at a wholesale
price of IS 3-5 cents a pound in 1908.
The prices for the three succeeding
years was 16. II and 17A cents re-
spectively.
The poor mans loaf of bread kept
step with the price of his meat. In
1899 the wholesale cost of a barrel of
flour, as shown by the report, was
$3.77. 1t went to $4.33 in 1903, $5.41
in 1908 and $5.49 in 1909. The
price remained practically stationary
through the years 1910 and 1911. Rye
rose from $2.7S a barrel in 1924
to $4.34 in 1904 and then jumped to
TO III DCCCAl0SAs 101A
In 1898 buckwheat flour cost $1.55
a barrel wholesale. 1t rose to $2.23 in
1906 and to $2.25 in January, 1911
This price was increased to $2.621A
in December of the same year.
Corn meal of the best grade jumped
from 8 cent a pound in 1896 to II
cents in 1901 and then to 16 cents in
December, 1911.
The wholesale price of potatoes in
was 40 cents a bushel. The cost
reached Sc cents last Septem-
Der.
New Orleans molasses was sold at
wholesale for 81 cents a gallon in
In 1897 it cached 80 cents.
Through December, 1911, it fluctuated
from 40 cents to AZ " cents a gallon.
In conclusion the report says:
The average wholesale price for
PSI commodities during 1911 was II
per cent higher than the average
price of the same commodi-
ties for 1900, A per cent higher than
the prices of 1897 and % per cent
than the prices of the ten years
preceding 1890"