The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-08-28
Extortion

This country is witnessing tho
worst instance of indefensible high
| price goug.ng IN its history. No soon
or did the great European war break
out tnan everybody in America lii
position 10 do so sought to turn 1t to
his peouniary advantage. The in
| te 'ruption OF trade and the prospect
OF increased demand for our products
! abroad and of lessened imports from
! the war-stricken countries gave an
| opportunity that was not lost. In
stantly up went the prices all around.
| brought in from foreign countries,
which might reasonably happen.
! though /. was largely anticipatory
| but il was equally true Of our own
large exports such as meats, -four,
sugar and all kinds of foodstufis,
| though IL has been impossible to ship
any considerable quantity of them for
fortnight and the ships. wharycs,
railroads elevators and storage facili
ties are congested with them, even TO
the point Of loss by decay. The ra-
ural result would have been lower
prices by reason of tho cessation of
expors, but an unnatG "a resuit III
stead followed 'ce- have 80 up
on everything taat ,hc nation eats
anywhere from twenty-five to fifty
per cent.
1t is extortion, pure and simple
speculative condition that is being
worked not only by the food moncpc-
lists but by dealers, large and small.
/ As soon as the sharp wholesale rise
was announced, eye'y crossroads
grocer. whose stock was purchased
on a low level, marked up his goods
to correspond. The American people
are being ieeced 20 the extent of hun
drcds of millions dollars. In the land
of peace and plenty and with our OK
ports thrown back upon GU, own
markets, we are suffering worse
from the food sharks than are the
people Of warning Europe itself
There is, os cou sc, no adequate
reason for it, ON the mere chance
that some months ahead Enropc may
want our foodstuffs and tha, com
mcrce may be restored so that they
can be rushed over M larger quanti-
ties than usual, p-ices hayo CONC kilt
ing. thc poor are suffering and the
wage Garner is impoverished. The
avarice OF spectators and dealers
knows no bounds IL merchant has
n hundred barrels OF flouf on hand
dollars. he is today charging seven
dollars-the same flour. lie does not
wait until his next consignment
comes and make the advance then ac-
cording TO the ruling quotation. but
he follows the wholesale market >
when il goes up; not so fast when IL
goes down.
The chances are that this particu-
lar rise is SO fictitious that il viii
soon explode and prices will reach
their normal level. nut in the mean
time every dealer in food will have
taken a toll which can morally be
considered nothing but unjust. 4 mid
doman is entitled to a fair profit. but
when he takes advantage OF stu
alton like the present he is no better
ihan the big food co-nerers who
would starve people to enrich thee.
J selves. In Europe they have a sum
mary way or dealing with such poo
pie. The municipalities fix III pr'ccs
at which goods shall be sold nd thoy
cannot be exceeded. We ha.' not
reached that stage in this Ill CT
! freedom and liberty. where those
who have what others need may old
them mp for any price thai ncccs "
cOmpels. Crises Ike tho poser Q.
however set the public mind a-uor B.
ing and may bring relief in rcguia-
tive methods that win put an end 10
such rank cXtorton.-Randolph Hrr-
a,l and News.