Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-01-23
REASONS FOR HIGH
PRICES OF CLOTHES
Mems Clothes Have Kept
Pace With Increase In
Cost of Production
and Wages Paid.

Most people seem to think that
clothes prices are high, says an ex-5
change. Measured in the number of
dollars it takes to purchase suit,
they are. But measured in the prices
of things which the producer has to
sell, or in the wages paid for services
performed, they are no higher than
they were before the war. In many
instances. as a matter of fact, they
are not SO high.
Compare clothes prices, for instance
with that Of corn, the great Ameri-
can money crop. In 1914 the Iowa
farmer had to haul fifty bushels of
corn to market in order to get the
money to pay for S25 suit of clothes.
Now he can get a $50 suit and $40
pair of shoes for his fifty bushels of
corn.
It may be that he doesn't haul corn
to market, but feeds it TO his hogs.
On Dec. Both, 1914, he had to sell 400
pounds of hogs at the top price of the
Chicago market to get the money to
pay for a S25 suit and So hat: On
Dec. Both. 1919, if he sold 400 pounds
of hogs at the top price Of the Chica
go market he came within So of re-
ceiving the money to by $50 suit
and there have been long periods in
the last two years when he would
have got from $50 to 1872 for his 400
pounds of hogs.
If, on Dec. Both, 1914, he marketed
a 1OOO-pound corn-fed steer at the top
price of the Chicago market, he got
SOL so for it. If he marketed it on
Dec. Both, 1919, for the top price, he
got S195 for it-money enough to buy
a pretty nice outfit of,clothes even at
present prices.
Wheat is raised in very wide sec
tions of the country. Official govern
ment reports tell US that the average
farm value of wheat ON Nov. 1st, 1914,
was II cents busheI. The farmer
who sold fifty bushels of it got $3.50,
or just about enough to buy S25.
suit, SIS pair of shoes, and S3 hat,
two or three good shirts, and then
some handkerchiefs. The farm value
of wheat on Nov 1st, 1919, was S2.13
a bushel and the farmer who sold fif-
ty bushels at his home station re-
ceived S106.5O, or enough to buy him
a fine $50 suit and big thick over
coat. If a farmer happens to live in
the Northwest and to have held lis
wheat until now he can get some
where near So bnshel for grain of
good quality.
The average price paid to the farm
er all over the United States for but
ter on Nov. 1st, 1914, was 26.4 pound
while on the same day in 1919 he got
Sc cents a pound for it. For eggs he
got 1858 cents dozen on Nov. 1st, 1914
while he got 81 cents adozen for them
i'll 1919.
On New. 1st, 1914, while all Europe
was at war and we were not, the far.
mer received on an average of So cents
bushel for his potatoes. Fifty bus
hels left him very narrow margin
over the price of S25 suit. On Nov.
lst, 1919, he was getting an average
of S1.53 per bushel for his potatoes.
The price of fifty bushels bought
him $50 suit of clothes and fine
pair of shoes, and left him few dol
lars for sundries.
But how about the working man?
The government tells US that the
average pay for farm laborers hired by
the month in 1914 was S21.05 and
board. In 1916 wages went up to a
minimum of $40 and ran to even $50
and $65 in many instances. The go
ing day wage for harvest hands in