The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-21
High Prices

High Prices
A comprehensive survey of high prices in
many spheres as we'll as reason for some of
them is presented by the Grand Rapids News in
the following editorial:
Economists employed by the war trade board
have just completed one Of the most compre-
hensive studies ever made of the living-cost
question. They have tabuated the price-changes
of 10000 commodities in the United States dur
ing the six years from 1913 to 1919. This is
what they found:
The average prices of most Of the 100000 COM
modties have greatly advanced, the average rise
being 1O2 per cent since 1915.
While prices have increased 102 per cent in
the United States, prices in Canada have gone up
107 per cent in England 1873 per cent in France
200 per cent. And these prices are all in gold.
Is it strange that there is worldwide unrest
on account of the constantly advancing cost of
living?
In France the other day the miners of the
north passed unanimously a resolution demand
ing the extreme penalty of the law for profiteer-
ing. A proposal made in the chamber of
deputies at Paris to extend the death penalty to
rrofiteers.
In Italy the people rose en- masse to protest
against the unreasonable advance in prices Of all
commodities, and especially foodstuffs Within
AZ hours the government took drastic action, and
there was reduction of so per cent in prices in
general
In England agitation against price advances
is nationwide, being intensified by the recent an
nouncement of an increase Of shillngs per ton
for COAL In the house of commons Mr.. Bonar
Law announced that the high prices prevailing
for all commodities had heen enpapinp the ATTAIN
ton of the government and the cabinet and that
proposals to alter conditions would soon be pub
lished.
In Canada parliamentary committee after
thorough investigation has just reported it's find
ings in the matter of price advances, which it
found to have continued steadily after the sign
ing of the armistice. The committee has recon-
mended the establishment of board Of COM
merce, to be permanent in character and model
ed after the railway commission. Canada is 60
ing to give pitess publicity to profiteerng. H
II. Stevens of Vancouver, member of the COM
mittce, asked who chief offender, replied that
between the manufacture, the middleman and the
retailer, the latter is the least guilty In his
estimation, the manufacturer, taking advantage
of war and world conditions, "has found in these
conditions extraordinary opportunities of max.
ing large profits, and in some cases, but not gen
orally, of making unreasonable and illicit profits.
In this country, few days ago, the fedora
trade board issued report which tended to show
that the five big packing concerns in Chicago
in control of not only the food supply of this
country, but were seeking control Of foodstuffs
everywhere. On top of that report comes the
news that every agency of the department Of JUS
tice III Chicago had been assigned the duty Of
investigating an alleged $500, 100000 food com
bine,' consisting Of producers, Gamers and dis
tributors Of foodstuffs. It is charged that peas
BEANS tomatoes asparagus, fruit and all Other
canned foodstuffs, including meats and milk are
controlled by this gigantic combination of CAPT
tai, production and distribution. The system, II
is charged, is perfect. The farmers produce i:
purchased outright on anticipation, the cannerie:
are financed, and the distributors are in contro
of the market.
Oscar B. McGasson, secretary of the McNei
& Higgins company, wholesale grocers of Chicago
throws little further light on the operations o.
profteers. He says spectators in foodstuffs art
gougng the public. They either attempt to buy
the output of food products and hold it for an ad
Travels of