Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-03

Mr. Chlds said another gran Jury
10 be called soon will take up the
Investigation where the June jury left
II and that this grand jury without
doubt will return indictments.
Under four subheads the grand
jurys report deals with the food sit
uation Canned goods, butter, cold
forage and wholesale dealers in food
products are dealt with separately
Here are excerpts from the export
Gamers. brokers, Wholesaler; and
iobbers have associations which Sc
lect COMMITTEES whose function 1t is
o meet at intervals. The Gamers.
wholesalers and jobbers have devised
iome means for insurng complete CO.
opcrat on among themselves, which /
csuts in keeping the Gamer from
dealing directly with the consumer or
the retailer.
Wholesalers and jobbers will not
buy from Gamers, in most cases, /
other than thru brokers. If retailers /
attempt to resist the combination by
producing directly from the Canner, |
they find it difficult or impossible to
10 any further business with the
wholesalers or jobbers as to other
groceries.
This situation compels the con
sumner to bear the expense of main
tanning the middlemen; and in times
like the present these middlemcn ex
ert the power that inheres In this
system to extort unconscionable prof
its from consumers. with no proper
ionate benefit to those who furnish
the principal service, to-wit, the farm
els, Gamers and such retailers rs are
satisfied with reasonable profits
above costs.
"To illustrate the foregoing we cite
the increase of the price OF canned
tomatoes and corn in passing thru
the hands OF these middlemen during
tha last year
Canned tomatoes we're sold by the
Gamers in the spring of 1916, thru
brokers, for future delivery to whole
salcrs and jobbcrs at 80 cents per
doven cans. These same tomatoes
are being sold today by wholesalers
and jobbers to retailers at $50 and
more per dozen, and consumers are
now getting one can for 25 cents In.
stead OF two or three cans they got
for that sum prior to this season.
Cans and labels. being furnished by
the Gamers, do not enter into this
increase in cost in the hands OF the
middlemen
Canned corn, which was sold in
| 1916 by the Gamer to the wholesaler
and jobber at SIS cents per dozen, Is
selling to the retailer at $ltb per
dozen and the consumer is paying a
: proportionately high price.
Urge Laws on Prices.
| IT view Of this situ-i on in the
1 istenCe of similar conditions N the
/ trade in other food products and nee
essaries, we urge the passage OF laws
to eliminate these conditions and to
reduce prices to normal basis as
soon as possible.
Furthermore. in consequence OF
these conditions, brokers. wholesalers
and jobbers are in a position 10. and
many of them do, hoard up, speculate
in, and demand excessive pri ,as for
these commodities; and no dou0t they
are In the sam position with refer
ence to many of the other necessaries
of life handled by them.
Because Elgin was at one time a
creamery center, the people Of the
United States continue to follow the
prices quoted as 'Elgin prices, altho
very little butter is now made or lie
ultimately traded In there.
1T seems that a few trades ant
dealsr, most OF whom arc Chicago
traders, take advantage OF this stu
alton to 60 to Elgin once week ant
make few trades on the Elgil
Board Of Trade. and thus establish
PRICE fer butter for those who follow
Elgin quotations thruout the country
l. 1T is a question whether the Elgil
board is 4, real and bona fide marke
= for the purchase and sale of butter.
: AS shown by the minutes OF tn
/ twenty-tour meetings of the Elgil
board from January to June ID, 1911
s an average of four traders made a
d average of less than two trades
6 week affecting an average of fifty-on
d tubs of butter sold each week. A
: against these fifty one tubs a wee
y handled on the board at Elgin. II al
I, pears that during the same perlo
( $4,000 tubs have been handled eac
IS week In Chicago.
h 1T has been the practice 0f col
n storage warehouse companies 20 len
large amounts Of money on perishabl