Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-08-22

In spite Of the fact that thruout the
United States a sale of government
food stuffs is being carried on thru
the postoffices in an effort TO making
cheaper the cost OF living, and that
the price Of certain foods has been
placed very low, it appears that local
ly for the present at least government
food will not lower retail prices
Housewives will not be pleased 10
know this and local grocers are OF the
opinion that some other means VIII
have TO be found to cut high prices.
They agree that insofar as profiteer-
ing is concerned the government VIII
be obliged to investigate prices asked
by others than the farmers or the re-
tail groCers.
Will Not Lower Prices.
When asked II this government SAFE
OF food stuffs might have some telling
effect on the markets, local srocers
were all of the opinion that IL Wouid
not. They gave as one reason that the
sale could be only temporary as only
a certain amount was allotted 10 each
postoffice Another reason was that
future deliveries had already been
contracted for at certain prices set by
the wholesalers and that unless those
prices were cut the retail price coulo
not be lowered. One grocer explained
that for ten days or two weeks their
sales on articles being sold by the gov
eminent would probably be below the
average but that he expected sales 10
return to normal within short time.
None of the grocers expected a ma
terial change in prices, however, all
were inclined TO think that later the
wholesalers might quote prices lower
and then naturally the retail price
would come down. That is a small
thread of hope but one to which the
housewife may cling until the govern
ment has gone deeper in the matter.
Passing the Price Buck"
That the price buck" is being pass
ed from producer to retailer Is shown
in the following letter to the members
Of the Iowa Wholesale Dealers Asso-
citation, by its secretary, John Mehlop.
Jr He wrote in part as follows:
THE high cost of living seems to be
the all absorbing topic of the hour.
All agree that it is costing too much
10 ilNe anu lIldI IOllIiNlOlIS oiiSGit
remedied. But how? The manufact-
urer says he can not reduce the price
of the manufactured article until
wages and raw materials are reduced.
The wage Garner says, you must not
lower wages until the things he has
to buy are lower. The farmer says he
Is not getting enough for his product,
and there you are.
Will Not Dent Prices.
1.-The government in attempting to
lower the cost of merchandise, is Of
fering its war surplus stocks to the
public at prices much less than the
actual cost to the government. But
this will not accomplish the desired
result 1t will not even make a dent
in the high cost of living because 1t is
estimated that the entire war surplus
stock. il purchased generally by the
public, will last bat a few days at most.
But it will have tendency to give an
entirely erroneous idea of the profits
obtained by the retailer in the ordinary
course of business.
THE government, should in all fair
ness to the grocery dealer, give the ac-
tual cost Of the articles that are being
offered at such low prices. 1t is not
surprising that the retailer is charged
with DT5fitGGrins when the govern =
ment offers No. l baked beans at
cents per can where they are ordinar-
lily sold for 10 cents retail. The pub
lie should know that these beans cost
the government ~ cents per cam
(The governments local price on these
beans Is 6 cents per can. Ed
As 70 SUGAR Diverted
Criticism is being made in the retail
grocery trade and by individuals Of
the alleged diversion of sugar from
this city to Chicago by the Let's
| Fletcher Company branch Of the West
ern Grocer Company. The complaint
in substance is that had not this sugar,
said to have been five cars, been d.
verified, there would not have been a
shortage here.
Manager w. T. Smith, Of Let's
! Fletcher Company, admitted in sub
stance that there had been some sugar
diverted to Chicago, but he denied that
the quantity was anywhere nearly sc
much as five cars. He pointed out
that sugar was constantly being di'
verted between the branch houses Of
the Western Grocer Company and be-
tween that corporation and the Ma
tional Grocer Company, Of which F. G
Let's. Chicago, is al,o president, anc
in which the Western Grocer Company
is said to be interested.
Mr.. Smith, in addition, urged the
fact that the supply Of sugar for locaI
trade lasted longer than in most lowe
cities. A number of wholesalers of the
state, he said, had been out Of sugar
from ten days to two weeks, and in the
east wholesalers had been short ever
longer. The situation in this city wal
fortunate, he said, in view Of the gen