The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1918-10-17
APPLE PIE IS SKY
HIGH AT CAPITAL
CONSUMERS COMPLAIN ABOUT
THE DRIFT OF THE COST
OF LIVING.
(By ]. E. JONES)

The great Virginia apple crop is
coming to market, and Washington
war workers are making raids upon
the apple pie counter. A good many
of the girls from "the old home
town" remember the days when the
neighbors used to send in an apple
pie and thought no more Of it than
do the heroic little stenogs who now
divide their chewing gum with their
chums. For chewing gum in Washing
ton is as common as chiggers in Mis-
sissippi, and as respectable as grape |
juice in Lincoln, Nebraska, even
though it is six cents a package on
many show cases. At the restaur-
ants where they still have bill-of-
fare apple pies have attained the
commercial dignity of being listed at
ten cents per cut, while in the more
magnificent establishments, where
"menus" tell the order of the day, the
prices are from fifteen to thirty
cents; thus raising the price of the
bakers product from sixty cents in
cheap places to one dollar and eighty
cents for one pie of six standardized
cuts in swell hotels.
Now, good juicy apple pies are sup
posedly made principally of apples,
and it is a pretty mess when the
contents spread between the crusts
made of a few cents worth of white
flour, treated to varnish of real
American lard, is put on the counter
for human patriots to eat at the pres
emit high rate of purchase. Apple
pies have advanced several hundred
per cent since those days when you
could get glorious golden-brown
piece of pie for a nickel at swell
restaurant. However, pies have per-
manently abandoned the five cent
zone-a price left for only a few
things that one has to purchase. The
sugar for apple pies used to sell at
twenty pounds for dollar; but, even
though sugar is now so scarce that
everybody is economizing on it, it re-
fuses to recognize the ancient nickel
pound schedule. American white
flour, American lard, and American
Spices, have shot upwards in COM
mercial scale, and have added their
own particular evidence to the claims
of the man at the bakery, and the
man at the pie counter against I'M
limited supplies of pis at popular
prices"
The American people have been
putting up their money at rate that
has surprised even themselves. There
is no limit to what they will do to
support the Government in war time.
But, now that it has been pointed out
that from seven to eight months have
been lost in airplane production, it is
not surprising that there is a good
deal of bitter disapproval. 1t is sug-
gested that in mere money we lost
half billion dollars on airp'ane mis-
calculation, and one Of the leading
newspapers of the country comments
that eve have not so many half bill
lions to bow in as we thought we had
year ago."
The Socialist program is very
much in evidence in Washington and
the country will hear more about it |
as time goes on. It has been liken-
ed to what the Duke of wellington
called "a revolution by due course of
law" and since all political engage
ments of the Socialists appear to look
toward this kind of an economical
end, the consequences, as they bring
about the confusion of property with
privilege, are well worth needing. In
the fall elections the Socialistic idea,
which doesn't amount to a hamstring
when it flies under its own colors, but
which is potential when put forward
by leaders in the two old parties, is
being foisted upon the country. 1t is
up to the American public to do it's
own solid thinking concerning the
great problems that are to be met by
the next Congress, and there should
be a vigorous use of the swatter in
discriminating the preachments that
favor Socialism.
The sign posts of modern progress
siUeness thought have been posted
by the Government,
and the policy toward the country
,ould not possibly be fairer and more
liberal. Uncle Sam guarantees to
protect capital, industry, securities,
'redit, labor, agriculture, and every
nown condition that affects human
ife. Some of the war measures
AVE resulted in Government control
md operation for the period of the
var. The legislation and regulation
n ooch a., >-..x~i