The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-11-20
COMPARATIVE PRICES ON WHAT
FARMER BUYS AND SELLS

ucLS SOFu ny the farmers nave III.
creased in price more than have
4 most of the articles farmers have had
( to buy, according to the committee
on public information. Certain ar
4 ticles, OF clothing, whose costs are
determined by the prices of other and
hitherto uncontrolled agricultural
products, as well as by wages, are
i the only exceptions to this general
rule. Wheat stands high among
products which have advanced greatly
in price Furthermore the price of
\ wheat even though fixed, seems on
the whole. from the standpoint of the
grower, to compare favorably with
the selling price Of other important
commodities. From the list of about
1000 county buyers averages based
on prices assembled show that on
/ July 1, 1918, the price of wheat had
increased 164 per cent over the price
for the same day of 1914. In other
I words, the price was nearly 2 %
times the price in 1914. Corn accord
ing to the data increased within the
same period 1O3 per cent in price.
Oats increased 1877 per cent, hay AZ,
and cotton 131. Hogs advanced 107
per cent, beef cattle 65 and lambs 1872
per cent within the four years.
Certain Important articles OF food
advanced far less. Coffee increased
in price only 8 per cent during the
period. Tea, however. went up 43
per cent. Rice advanced 70 per cent.
Goldfish went up SO per cent. New
Orleans molasses cost As per cent
more. Prunes, on the other hand, rose
only 13 per cent. The higher cost of
graduated sugar was measured by
55 per cent. Cheese in Chicago en-
HANGED in value 81 per cent. Shoes
advanced much less than wheat. Cot
ton and wooden clothing, however,
scared Colored cotton flannel in
creased 296 per cent, while bleached
Lonsdale shirtings cost 1875 per cent
more after four years. Farm imple-
ments, however, increased in price
much less than did wheat and other
of the farmers products. Walking
plOWs showed an advance of IS per
cent. Standard farm wagons increas-
ed Sc per cent. Disk drills cost, II
per cent more Gasoline engines
went up in price only Al per cent.
Steel plowshares cost 63 per cent
more. Fuel advanced far less than
farm products. Refined petroleum
cost 40 per cent more. Anthracite
coal (chestnut) advanced only Fl per
cent, while bituminous (Norfolk) in
dictated an increase of Al. Gasoline
rose 66 per cent On the whole, de-
spite governmental control, the fig.1l
ures assembled by the department of
agriculture and Of labor demonstrate
that the price of wheat has advanced
more rapidly and to a higher point
than the price of most other articles
during the war period.
It begins to look like we had better
keep our eyes open in these recon
struction days, less some one puts
across something that will do us con- |
siderable harm. For instance, my at
tention has been called to the fact
that the war industries board is plan
ming to furnish returned soldiers to
eastern factories. To start with that
is unfair to the soldiers. They en-
listed for war services, during period
OF war and if they are now peddled
around to Tom, Dick and Harry, after
the war ends, the volunteers for war
services will not be plentiful, if we
again need soldiers. If the boys are
held in service after the war-when
they were promised to be released
40 soon as lthe war was over-our
government f1s practicing deceit. and
the word of Our officials are no bet
ter than scraps OF paper. Iowa wants
her boys back home as soon as their
real army work has been completed.
The attempt to put the Iowa boys in |
to Industries located in the eastern
states, or elsewhere than Iowa, will |
work seriously to the disadvantage OF
agricultural states. Be ever mindful
OF the fact that there are lot of
men who know what they want, and
will not be backward about getting it,
II possible. If you are in favor of
having your boys returned to their
Iowa homes, write Governor Harding
and tell him so. know he is with
you have a boy "over. there and |
want him back home, when he has
finished his work as soldier. be-
ieve he has earned the right to re.
turn home too. 1t is the same with
your boy The position that Cover
nor Harding takes is that every man
should be returned to his, home state
by the government and there permit
ted to seek the employment he de-
sires. II the federal government |
handles the problem, Governor Hard
Ing insists it will result in large man
ufacturing centers profiting at the ex-
pense of the farming sections. Now
don't put off writing to Governor
Harding and telling him you desire
10 have the Iowa boys returned to
Iowa to be demobilized. If they want
10 work in factories, we have as many
factories as the Iowa farmer boys will
care to work in.
4 Last Thursday morning made a
'ew calls in the vicinity of Ricketts,,
md would have made more il had
lot learned that Charter Oak was 60
ng to hold a celebration that after
loon and evening. did not want
o take up the time of the farmers
When / knew they were in a hurry to
ret through their work and go to
,harter Oak to take a hand in the
liz doings. One Of the places ! Wis
ted was the farm of John Dor1er, in
ection thirteen Soldier township, To-