Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-26
Prices Nearly Double in
Wissahickon RoXbor-
ough Neighborhood,
w hich Is Directly
Supplied

Question your grocer. Madame House
keeper. upon the responsibility for the prices
he charges you for the wares that daily go
upon your table. and II you viii pardon
the introduction OF gambling phrase, II is
ten to one" that he puts the blame, Wig
orcusly and perhaps none too politely. upon
the broad shoulders Of the man with the
hoe" This depositng OF the onus OF high
prices and food scarcity on the back OF the
farmer and producer seems unanimous to-
day in the Wissahickon and Roxborough
section. whose grocers supply the tables OF
vastly useful portion Of Philadelphia
population, ranging In social standing from
the millionaire textile manufacturer TO the
humblest laborer in the mill or foundry.
All must be fed and, remote from the city's
center. it devolves upon the ncighborhood
grocer to supply the food.
Continuing its investigation OF Philadel-
phla's high cost of living" In its sectional
aspects, the EVENING LEDGER today asked
the grocers OF wlssahickon and RoNhor-
ough 10 furnish their views for the infor-
nation OF the housewives who deal with
them Almost without exception those APP
preached presented the same line OF argu-
ment, which II not consoling 20 themselves
or to the wife whose household expenses
are limited by her husbands wage envelope
Is none the less positive in Its Indictment
Of the vegetable grower. stock raiser and
first handler OF food products. Money-mad-
ness on the parts of tho once-gullible gold
brick purchaser is insinuated, and fully-
sophisticated. the farmer is alleged to be
practicing upon the grain manipulation the
same process which that individual erst-
while employed upon the lowly tlller OF
the soil.
FARMER NOW AN ECONOMIST"
Economically speaking. the farmer has
mastered the problem OF supply and de-
mand greatly to his own pecuniary profit
and with serious and alarming inroads into
the restricted means Of the. majority OF
ultimate consumers. SO say the Wissa-
hckon and Roxborough merchants, many
Of whom have dealt for years with the
agricultursts Of the nearby country.
The housewives of that district have only
TO put the question up to their grocer.
Thomas Martin has recently moved into
new store at 5144 Ridge avenue. For
nearly twenty-seven years he has done busl-
ness in the same block. which extends from
Kaos to Osborne street
i've seen this place grow from a woods
to a thickly -built-up neighborhood." he OK
pressed II, and prices have gone up In the
same way in that time"
What is the cause? Well. It looks 10 me
as II the farmers are holding back. They
claim there is scarcity OF help, but every
body appears to be money-mad these days
and the farmers seem 20 have become in
fected We pay more and yet we cannot
get the goods Now, where are they? We
hear the crops are good and give our orders,
but cannot get the stun our customers
grumbe. but they still are willing to pay
the price we have to ask This section
may be somewhat different from other parts
of the city. our working classes in
Manayunk and its vicinity have been
steadily employed this year and everybody
seems to have money. So they are able TO
stand for the little squeeze In prices. and
do so. even II they do complain a bit now
and then"