White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1916-04-16
NOW THE WAR Is
AFFECTING PRICES


many staple articles, the rise affecting
both food stuffs and wearing apparel.
OF the latter the News is informed
that hereafter buyers must pay more
for oyeralls and for shoes. AS a good
many people wear o~yeralls and ey-
erybody wears shoes, the information
of the increase in price is not well
come, but there seems no immediate
remedy, and conservation will have
to be the watchword. The trade
magazines are enlarging on the sub
ject and dispensing information that
is as enlightening as 1t lie disquieting.
Concerning shoes, one journal under
the caption Shoe Wearers Must Pay
the Price" says:
THE generally reported scarcity Of
leather and increased cost of tanning
since the war, combined with an NOR
mously increased demand for leather,
al account for the advanced cost Of
footwear.
Millions of pairs of shoes for the
European armies have been and still
are being made by American shoe
manufacturers. On the average
these army shoes consume one and
one-half as much leather as the av-
erage American mans shoe. -
Autos have also made great and
increasing inroads into the available
leather supply for upholstering.
Leather is a ~by-product. The sup
ply cannot be increased al will as
crops and metals are, but is depend
ent on the hide supply; and cattle
are not killed primarily for their
hides.
The latest census reports show
hat the cattle population has de-
creased 20 per cent in the last ten
years, and the population has increas-
ed the same percentage.
Shoes, therefore are to be mor
expensive. 1t is said that the increase
for the present will be about 20 per
cent, but will likely be more by next
fall"
Another commodity that is feeling
wars stress is paper, and higher
than a kite" aptly expresses the sit
uation. In common with others
throughout the country, the news
paper and job printing Offices in Ely
f.csn1 uvhat ho -paoI .
crisis in the effort to do business and
get by at anything like a profit. Thus
far no rise has been made in estab-
lished rates, as 1t has not been pleas
ant to contemplate a move hat means
an upsetting of schedules with the
inevitable attendant misunderstood
ings and dissatisfaction. But unless
there should come a sudden and un-
expected change, the printing plants
will have to fall into line with other
producers and business establish
ments and make new rates that are
consistent with the present prices of
raw materials.
For the most part the business
Houses and manufacturing establish
ments of Ely have been pretty loyal
In keeping their printing patronage
at home. This spirit of local loyalty
has been appre ciated, and 1t is be-
lieved il a rise in rates is announced,
the situation will be met in a spirit
of cooperation, and understood as
brought about by circumstances over
which the publisher and printer has
no control.
One OF the large intermountain
paper supply houses in a letter to
the trade says:
Here are the causes Of the advanc-
ing prices:
First: Increased cost OF all ma
terials used In making paper.
Rags, 100 per cent increase:
bleached sulphite, formerly $45 per
ton, now $110 per ton; soda pulp,
SO to SO per cent increase; alum,
800 to 400 per cent increase; rosin,
40 per cent increase; wire screen
rs to 35 per cent increase; felts, SO
per cent increase; bleaching powder
(chlorine) 1000 per cent increase
and non to be had; colors, 500 ia
$500 per cent and up; satin white
rs to SO per cent; blanc fix. 100 to
$50 per cent; casein. ESQ per cent;
soda ash. 800 per cent.
In addition to all of these things
has come the sudden and enormous
demand for paper. In the first place
our American manufacturers are re-
ceiving orders from all over the world
because of the inability of the Euro
pean manufacturers to supply their
regular customers. Exporters are
almost begging for goods at any price
in order to meet this sudden and en-