Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-09-26
"War Prices" Here and in Canada.

!
Up there loyalty prevents retailers
and wholesalers from bleeding the
public, and speculative corners" in
commodities are not tolerated. Down
here every greedy Spectator, middle
man, wholesaler and retailer grabs his
pound of flesh and blames it on the
war. Here is an incident:
A Maine gentleman inquired of a
retailer the price of sugar. The answer
was 1925 for 25-pound bag. Next day
he called again at the same store and
asked If sugar had gone any higher
NO" replied the head of the concern.
who had evidently forgotten the In
quiry of the previous day. still at
$2,15."
20, 1 had an idea it was s2.25," said
the consumer.
well, most of 'em are asking $2.25,"
answered the grocer, but I bought
large lot before the advance and am
selling at sails"
AS it happened, the same consumer
had purchased a bag of sugar at that
place just before the advance" for
s115, so he knew that this dealer
was realizing a graft on the public OF
four cents a pound above the fair
profit of peace" times.
Sugar was scattered all over the
country and, on the speculative cries
of scarcity" mo shipping" war
insurance" etc. every holder jumped
his prices, and the consumer, sweat
ing under the high cost of living, has
another bundle of straw added to his
burden.
Sugar is only an example; other
things are seized upon to rob the con-
sumner on one pretext or another.
There are even worse examples, but
the consumer is getting his eye-teeth
cut on war prices" down here in the
states, while up in Canada, people
actually at war, they are not suffering
from the greed of Inscriptions trade.
The Ottawa Evening Journal of
Sept. 9, had the following editorial
which has a far different meaning to
the people of the United States than
was intended for the people Of Cana
da:
No better evidence of the practical
patriotism of the merchant and man
ufacturing class in Canada during the
present crisis can be found than in
the fact that since the outbreak of
the war. now nearly five weeks ago,
prices throughout the country. and
especially prices of food, have not
been seriously enhanced. True, there
were advances in the retail and whole
sale cost of certain commodities. but
these were based on reasonable eco
nomic laws traceable to the law OF
supply and demand. The fact of the
matter is, that Canada at war. is sup
plying its citizens with a cheaper din
ner table than the United States at
peace. This is remarkable, and tri-
butte to the Canadian trader. 1t is
something that will bear comparison
with the history of war prices in 9TH
ei countries in the course of other
wars. Practically all of the great wars
of the past were marked by starvation
prices. During the Napoleonic wars
the English farmers took advantage
of the protective corn laws to put up
the price of wheat, and to keep 1t up,
even after Waterloo. Histories Of that
time relate how wheat stacks were
thrown into the Thames at the ex-
pense of farmers unions to keep the
supply down and the price up. Much
was made of these facts in the protec-
ton of agriculture made by the anti
corn law league. but during the Cri-
mean war, when England had free
trade in grain, the traders contrfved
to boost the prices. Notwithstanding
that the British harvests were usual,
that the foreign bases of supply werel
as accessible as ever, for England and
France held control of the sea, prices
were put UP, and kept up till long
after peace was declared. During the
Spanish American war the cost OF liv-
ing scared in the United States,
though there was no visible reason for
the rise, anu SOfIlb VI us Will
paying pretty high for certain COM
modities during the struggle in South
Africa.
A great change seems to have come
over public opinion in regard to prices
during the last 10 or Is years. The
intense individualism which was
preached and practiced toward the
close of the 18th century Is getting
out of fashion. The right of a man
to do what he will with his own" is
now seen to be circumscribed by his
duties to society; and the right of
man to make a profit where he has
not rendered a service Is generally
challenged. This is not socialism, but
the most practical form of patriotism.
If prices have not been enhanced in
Canada during the past month, 1t is
because a strong public opinion, shar
ed by all classes, would regard undue
boosting Of prices in the nature of a
private war tax imposed upon the Ca
madam people for the benefit of a COM
paratively few: and these few who
would hoard up food for their private
gain would be regarded in the same
category as the enemy who would
seek to starve us by the more open