The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-08-29
THE 1WENrY.DoLLAR HOG.

Inc lWenty-DOllaF f1OS has dIINcu
He is not welcome, at least outside OF
farming circles, but he. is q fact,
whether welcome or not. What we
are to do about him except to make
the best of him does not appear.
"A few months ago we were eSclaim-
ing over the SIS hog, but at that time
all the superlatives were exhausted
and the Twenty-Dollar Hog finds us
adjectiveless, not to say speeches..
We have been astonished so many
times during the last two years by
the rapid and dizzy ascent OF prices
that such flights have lost, their power
to amaze u.s. Thus it is that the TWEEN
tyrDollar Hog arouses only languid
interest, and the only thing that
greatly concerns us is whether the
price is to go still higher. Is there
to be no stopping place in the upward
trend? Is there no point at which
the buying price of hogs shall cease
to be profitable? For the man who
buys at the high price must sell at
yet higher price, and the Twenty-Dol-
lar Hog means great deal more than
20 cents pound for pork products
at retail. . s
y 1t is, quite apparent that the meat
packers, who so far have exhibited
no reluctance to paying a constantly
increasing price for live hogs, are not
anxious as to how high the price may
20. 1t naturally follows that they are
confident of their ability to find a
market for their pork products at
whatever price they choose to exact.
If they were unable to market high
priced meats, it is safe to assume that
they would not be so complacents as
they daily push the price of the live
animal few cents higher. ~
This emphasizes an astonishing fact
with relation to high prices, namely;
the ability Of the consumer to adjust
himself to the extraordinary and ever
increasing cost of life's necessities.
In this he accomplishes the seemingly
impossible. We say, for example, that
we do not understand how we are
to buy meat at the exorbitant prices
now asked We wonder how the man
in moderate circumstances, the day
laborer whose wage is around 81 and
SO per day, is to find way to provide
meat for his table. And yet meat con-
tinues to be part of every mans diet
and is on every table. Meat markets
are thronged as usual, and now and
then new one Is opened. 1t is pos
sible that there are meatless days
and that meat is more economically
used, but the patent fact is that high
prices, even extraordinary prices. do
not restrain us when our appetites
and tastes are consulted.
1t is interesting to speculate how
great the capacity of the people to
absorb high prices may be- Not alone
the prices of meat, but Of other food
stuffs, as well as Of clothing, fuel,
house rent, etc: Will there not. must
there not, come time when we can
pay no more, when the utmost far
thing shall have been exacted? When
that point shall have been reached
what will happen? We have heard
much talk of rebellion during the last
two and more years. We have had
egg and other food boycotts, and
much suggestion of the power Of con-
sumers to control prices by such
means. All such effort, however, has
been spasmodic' and without perma.l
nent effect or benefit.
The fact seems to be, that we want
what we want, and we insist upon
having it. Therefore we pay the price
asked, whether we can afford it or
not. albeit we may grumble more or
less In that trait of American char
acter the men who manipulate the
prices find their warrant for impos-
ing all that the traffic will bear. They
are psychologists in way, these price
and they do their work with
a perfect understanding OF the tenn.
Per of the people.
But returning to the TwentyDol-
lar Hog, he would appear to be a
serious assault upon the American
breakfast table, For the Twenty-Dol-
lar Hog inevitably means so cent
bacon, if not a higher price. How
many of us, even the well to do, really
can afford to serve so cent bacon on
our tables? But will we cut it out
because of that? We will not. A few
Of us may. possibly. but 1t is quite
likely that the remainder will con-
tinue to buy it at the highest price,
the while we eXcoriate and anathe-
matize Nthose responsible, whoever
they may, be. Such is our human
weakness. +Sioux City Journal.
THE WAR AND BAD BOYS: