The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-17
High Wages Are Responsible
for High Cost of Food.
That Is What Otto b. Cutler
Told ROtarians.
MIDDLE MAN IS DEFENDED
POehIer Mercantile Co. Officer
Tells of Their Work.
No Danger of BOIshevism, He
Says in C. of C. Speech.


While there will be slow settling
of the market, the cost of labor cuts
such a big figure that as long as labor
is on the present basis. food values
cannot decline materially, according to
Otto B. Cutler, vice president of the
Theo. Poehler Mercantile company,
who read a paper on the wholesale
grocery and foodstuffs situation be-
fore the Rotary club this noon at the
Chamber of Commerce. When the
jobber, at present. checks down the
line to the manufacturer and producer
asking for prices, word comes back
up the line saying that the high cost
of labor makes it impossible to reduce
prices, Cutler said
Cutler was introduced and his
biography read by e. L. Copeland,
treasurer of the Santa F'e. d. o. Coe
gave the rotary talk, and then just
before the Poehler vice presidents
speech the enlisted men who are on
their way to meet the 35th division
when it lands in New York were in
were wounded in the Argonne when
their company pushed ahead of the
salient.
Middle Man Useful.
Cutler in opening his address out
| lined the importance of the wholesale
| jobbers of the country, saying that the
average jobber's line covers something
like I 900 items. He touched upon the
sentiment to abolish the middleman
| and branded it as erroneous. He told
| how wholesalers are helping finance
| crops. how they placed their wares at
the disposal of the government during
the war. and touched upon some of
1 the difficulties in following federal
| food control policies. He also de-
| clared that the jobbers' mission in the
| industrial scheme included the work
| of gathering foodstuffs from all parts
| Of 6o of m
proba bility that food prices will be
reduced, he cited the cost of labor a $
| the big factor in the situation and
said:
Export Demands Large.
Another thing which ! believe is going
! teria1Iy is the big export demand that is
awaiting us just as soon as the peace
| of canned fruits out in California have
| named theta prices on the next seasons
| pack before this time of the year-this
| season they are putting off the naming OF
these prices just as long as possible, be-
| cause they are hoping that in the meantime
at least temporary treaty OF peace Will
will be ready to enter the market for sup
plies which in turn will give them won
derful outlet.
| 1--WE. of course hope that if the markets
do settle, any. they will, for the common
! good. settle slowly, because any other adj
/ justment to prewar condition will only
| result in disturbing the present scale of
labor to such an extent as to develop
dangerous situation.
Frankly, 1 think that what is troubling
us more today than the high cost of liv-
| ing, is the cost of high living. Food Reg
| ulator Mr.. Merritt was discussing the high
cost of living and other things at recent
meeting of wholesale grocers, when he re-
marked:
+ ".The fluctuations during the war came
so fast that 1t was impossible to keep an
| accurate line prices We were all in
the same position as the small boy who
said to his mother:
why. do hats cost more than houses,
mammal
But they don't dear. What made you
think 500
well that sign says: Hats. $40 up"
and yesterday / a sign that said
4 Houses SO down
I'm conclusion l wish to say the whole
sale grocer is not alarmed over the present
situation. we believe that a return to pre-
war conditions can be brought about in
dition to develop. Every now and then
some learned psychologist Gt should be
/ pronounced sickologist In this instance)
predicts that our country is going to the
I dogs-that Bolshevism and discomfort are
rampant. He senses in the restlessness of
a few, the ppheaval of a mass; he feels
that the natural tendency of business to
4 hesitate means that business is about to
disintegrate.
II speaking for the wholesale grocers, and
particularly for our own firm, we do not
4 feel that way about five are going ahead
full steam-and like Farragut, we say
- the tOfpedOes'-the torpedos of high
wages. labor, discomfort and Bolshevism.
If there are not enough real people left in
this country-to do business with, we are
, willing to sink, but we'll at least go down
Il fighting and with colOrs flying"