South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-12-10
Eco CORNERS No
NEW THING SAYS
Gibson GARDNER
Washington Correspondent Of
News Times Goes Back to
Days of Queen Elizabeth to
Prove Contention.
RY GnsoN GARDINER.

WASHINGTON. Dec IO--The high
price OF eggs and the encrOachments
II storage people and other trust
agencies was the subject OF complaint
during Queen Elizabeth's reign. Lord
Cobham's chaplain. William Harr1-
son. left an account in his The De-
scription OF Britaine," in Vols ii. and
III. Says he:
ut Is a world also 10 see how most
places OF the realm are pestered with
purveyors. who take up eggs, butter
cheese, pigs CapOns, hens, chickens,
hogs. bacon, etc, in one market I'M
der pretenCe Of their commissions,
and suffer their wives to sell the same
in another. or 10 poulterers OF Lon
don. IL these chapmen be absent but
two or three market days then we
may perfectly see these wares TO be
more seasOnably sold. and there unto
the crosses sufficiently furnished OF
all things. In like sort, since the
number Of buttermen have so much
increased, and since they travel in
such wise that they come TO mems
houses for their butter faster than
they can make it. IL is almost incredi-
BILE TO see how che price Of butter IS
augmented; wherNs when the own
ers were enforced - bring il to the
market towns and fewer OF these
butter buyers were stirring. our but
ter was scarcely worth eightpence
the gallon that now is worth three
shillings fourpence and perhaps five
shillings. Whereby also / gather that
the maintenance of a superfious num-
Der Of dealers in meat trades. tillage
always excepted, is one Of the great
est causes why the price Of things
become excessive, for one OF them do
commonly use TO Outbid another. And
whilst our country commodities are
commonly bought and sold at our
private houses. 1 never look To see
this enOrmity redressed or the mar
kets well furnished"
Wheat Corners Then.
The Armours of that day were also
cOrnering wheat says Harrison.
I'm returning therefore unto my
purpose, 1 find that in corn great
abuse is daily suffered, 10 the great
prejudice of the town and country.
especially the poor artificer and
householder, which tilleth no land.
but, labOrfng all the week to buy a
bushel or two Of grain on the market
day. can there have none for his
money; because Dodgers. leaders, and
common carriers Of corn do not only
buy up all. but give above the price
TO be served Of great quantities
Shall I go any further? Well, / will
say yet a little more. and somewhat
by mine own experience.
AT A1ichaelmas time poor men
must make money Of their grain. that
they may pay their rents. SO long
then as the poor man hath to sell.
rich men viii bring out none, but
rather buy up that which the poor
bring. under pretence OF seed corn or
alteration OF grain. although they
bring none OF their own, because one
what often sown without change Of
seed viii soon decay and be converted
into darnel. For this cause therefore
they must needs buy in the markets,
though they be 20 miles off, and
where they be not known, promising
there. il they happen to be espied
(which, Got wOt, is very seldOm), TO
send so much TO their next market. TO
he performed I wOt not when.
IF this shift serve not, neither
doth the fox use always one track for
fear Of n snare), they will compound
with some one OF the town where the
market is holden, who for a pot Of
'huffcap' or merry gO-dOwn,' Will
not let 20 buy 1t for them, and that
in his own name. or else they wage
one poor man or other to become a
hodger, and thereto get him a license
upon some forged surmise. which be-
ing done, they will feed him with
money TO buy for them till he hath
hlled their lofts; and then If he can
do any for himself. SO il Is: If not.
they Will give him somewhat for his
pains at this time, and reserve him
for another year"