Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-27
Manufac cturers' Greed
Blamed by Woman Grocer
in Extensive Residential
Neighborhood
Cheap but Nutritious Cuts
of Meat Advocated for
Economy by Another
Dealer

fNI0N|Ns Nitl AtouHNNhtf N0o hsANN ht"e
some Of these articles that have presented
daily for your Information the views Of
the grocers IN various neighborhoods upon
the reasons underlying the rise in prices
Of food supplies and the suggested reme-
sies for tightening the increasing drain
upon your pocketbook
And in the reading you have assented.
possibly. 10 some OF the arguments adj
vnnced. and then IN your womanly wis
dom, shaken your head. as you remarked
s'Oh. yes. true enough. but how does
man know what we women have TO put
up with? Let the EVENING LEDGER stop
questioning men about the high cost OF
living and submit the matter TO a woman
who knows from actual experience what Il
costs to keep a family in food these days"
Wen. Mrs. Housewife. that is just what
The EVENING LEDosR has done. and II has
carried It's campaign OF enlightenment right
into the heart of the housewives country.
into West Philadelphia, which numbers
among it's 247,s2s inhabitants more house,
keepers than possibly any other six wards
In the entire City OF Homes
BLANfEs MANUFACTURERS
Right nj The portal Of West Philadelphia.
sandwfched between the University of
Pennsylvania and Drexel Institute. two
csnters OF domestic economy, is the grocery
store of w. 3. Brown a Co. IL Is located
at ss00 Woodland avenue, where II has
supplied the wants of its neighbors more
than twenty years. The proprietors are
Walter g. Brown and Emma s. Dietrich.
Let US hear the views of the female MEM
Der OF the Arm. and from her observations
Il is possible a new light on the market
situation may come to alleviate our house,
wifely burden.
TITS the manufacturers who are to blame.
The big concerns are raising prices on al
most every article we handle until every
thing today costs nearly double what II
did a few years ago II is awful, simply
awful. The people are not buying like
they did and cannot blame them. Meats
and groceries alike are up to a figure that
forces some OF our customers 20 cut down
on their tables We cannot get the goods
delivered after we order them. The whole
salers take our orders and then will not
let us have the quantities we need for our
trade. There Is where believe the trouble
lies, and the remedy would seem to be
some law that would compel those who
have the goods TO dispose Of them and not
store them up in the hope of getting higher
prices.
"In this location we are in position to
see the situation from many angles. We
supply many families who have lived in
we also care for several students boarding
houses. We have customers of all classes
and they all seem to be suffering. l don't
Zee any prospect OF remedy unless some law
is passed that will prevent those who
produce the goods from holding them up"
Another landmark In the same neghbor-
hood il the establishment OF M. d. Penne-
packer. now located at the southeast COR
ner of Thirty-third street and Lancaster
avenue. For forty years Mr.. Pennepacxer
1eeQ In the bIginaQs and a
ways within a few blocks of his present
location. Its the people themselves who
are to blame" Mr.. Pennepacker declares
They seem willing 10 pay the high prices
II they would cut down their purchases
and make a protest in that way l believe
the farmers and wholesalers would be
brought to better terms. They would lower
their prices rather than their goods
spoil in their barns or eating up storage
charges I'm warehouses. Today the farmers
won't quote prices
They think they will get more money by
holding on to their stock. That is why
potatoes are so high. The crop is plenty
enough but the growers believe II they hold
out long enough and ship none to market
they can force the people TO pay whatever
price they choose TO ask. When they do
sell they let the supply 20 to the foreign
buyers who are willing to pay more.
This country today is in the position of
n man who sells food to his neighbor and
let's his own children go without. That at
titude may work out all right with people
who are getting higher wages In these war
times but those who are getting the same
money as they did a year ago are much
worse of.
"A trade embargo against foreign ship
ments would help to relieve the situation.
There is plenty OF grain and other food
stuffs here In America for our entire popu-
iation. Why cannot the growers be COM
pelied 10 supply the home demand first, and
then. II they have any surplus. let that go
TO other countries. Instead, they seem TO
take care of the foreigner first, and let their
own people take what is left.
There is more profit TO us in the lower
prices. will illustrate in the case OF
milk. which is one OF the latest commodi-
ties TO go up In price. When milk cost
us four cents pint. We sold II at Ave
cents. which gave ns profit of one cent
on each sale. less the cost OF Ice. Today
milk cost us nve cents. We cannot charge
six cents pint to our customers, and we
cannot AFFORD to ice and keep II 20 sell again
~ nye cents We simply cut II out Many
other articles am selling merely as a
convenience or with less than a cent mar
kin on each sale"
Mr.