The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-14
North Side Neu,s
WORST To COME!
End of High Prices Is Not Yet
in Sight, Merchants Say.
Even Water and Stock Feed Are
Getting Scarce Now.

IF there isn't a genuine scarcity of
products" said prominent retail gro
Ger of North Topeka. in speaking OF
the heavenward trend of prices, then
the wholesalers and manufacturers
have formed the neatest little Ananias
club that ever fooled the people.
In a good many cases." he contin-
ued, actual scarcity is the explana-
ton for excessive cost. In other IN
stances there seems TO be no good
excuse. 1t is a certainty. however,
that # present conditions continue
prices are a mere bagatelle to what
they will be next year.
The price of all canned goods, for
Instance, has gone up for two seasons.
First, it is exceedingly Sdifficult for the
canning factories to obtain fresh vege-
tables. Second. the price of tin cans
las gone up rs per cent, due. it is
r'ietal. On the other hand the use of
glass for preserving is even more diff
ficult, because of the near impossible
ity of procuring glass bottles. The eX-
PLANTATION given by the manufacturers
is that great numbers of the glass
blowers have been attracted to the
munitions factories by the high
wages.
Vegetables Scarce.
The Snider catsup people are
months behind because of the short
age of bottles. and in many cases have
Fresh vegetables are very difficult
to buy at any price. Turnips are al
most out Of the market. One retailer
ordered onions from a Topeka COM
mission man. He received half a sack
and was glad to get that. Potatoes
are more than $3.50 a bushel and
onions and cabbage 10 cents a pound
wholesale.
One store is selling canned corn for
$1.20 a dozen because it had a large
| Gil On hQr Tt1n
the present time would cost S1.35
wholesale. Beans cost 3 cents whole
sale. Why the Sam Hill should they?
Well, the men who are selling them
for that claim that the government
bought up the entire Wisconsin crop,
for the army and that they have to
sell California beans which are ship
ped a long distance.
Now the report comes that the
orange and lemon crop in Florida has
been frosted, and that the California
fruit has also suffered. Naturally,
the price will rise. This is the deuce
of it, say the retailers. 1t rises so
naturally.
Stock Feed Scarce.
Farmers north of town say that the
shortage in rough feed for stock is
beginning to be felt No very good
reason for the lack is assigned The
crops of hay, alfalfa and clover were
not particularly short last fall but
the farmers claim that the feed don't
appear to have in it the same amount
of nutritive value as is normally pres
ent. They say that if it had not been
for the remarkable open weather of
/ the last two months the shortage
would have been very severely felt
before now
This lack of feed those who know
claim, Will cause raisers who would
otherwise hold their stock, to sell, and
! tend temporarily to reduce the price,
| or at any rate increase the quantity
of meat on the local market. Later
on, however, the absence of stock
will boost the price still higher. How,
no one knows, but in some way or
another it must, of course, be due to
the war.
And Water Isn't Plentiful.
Due to the very dry weather, many
wells are running low north of the
city. Agriculturists have theory that
II the drouth continues much longer
they will have to quit coming to town
from the danger of their teams falling
in the cracks in the roads.
Social and Personal
The H. e. N s. will give a banquet
this evening at the home of Mrs Har-
rison Dana, 1925 North Monroe street.
The affair is given in honor of Mr..
Dana.
v r. Parkhurst was in Topeka
tuesday. He is engaged on engineer
ing work along the Kaw river near
Lawrence. The construction company
with which he is employed is gradual
| ly working up the river course toward
| Topeka.
Miss Cleora Britton. of Pauline, is
visiting with Miss Maude Mcclure.
W. +. George, of S13 North Quincy
street. is I'll at his home.
| The X. and L. OF S. Victor council
No. will meet Thursday evening at
its hall, 100 North Kansas avenue.
/ The Merry Matrons club will meet
Thursday afternoon with Mrs. S. T.