The log cabin Democrat., 1921-05-04
PRICE DROP SHOWN BY TRAVELLING MEN DECLINE 39.69 PER CENT Little Rock Wholesaler Quotes 1920
 and 1921 Prices to Help
 Hotel Rate Drive.

4 selected list of 31 food pfoducls
 and commodities used in the man. tenance of hotels, with April, 1920, prices compared with those in effect April, 1921, has been prepared by E.. F. Edwards of this city for use in the campaign by commercial sales men for reduction of hotel rates. The two lists of prices as prepared by Little Rock wholesale firm at the re- quest of Mir. Edwards, show reductions averaging 3969 per cent during the 12 months. Pork Joins showed the smallest decline, being only 16 per cent lower, while rice fell off 76 per cent in price.
 "The prices are at wholesale rates,' Mir. Edwards said, land a majority of the hotels buy at wholesale. Another point which the comparison brings out is the sacrifice by manu- lecturers, jobbers and retail mer- chants all over the country to bring back normal prices. The extent to which they have succeeded is shown conclusively by our table. Just as conclusively, the table shows how the hotels have reaped their profit from the declines, for which these reductions were made, the hotels maintained their old rates. It is reasonable to suppose their profits have increased in the same ratio as the markets have de- clined"
 The campaign by the salesmen has now reached the point where definite results may be expected. Copies of agreement whereby commercial tra- yelling men pledge themselves to withhold their patronage from hotels, cafes and transfer companies believ- ed to be maintaining unreasonable or exorbitant prices, are being circulat- ed in the state and are being gener- ally signed, according to word receiv- ed here. Some of the travellers have written MT. Edwards personally. From every quarter comes evidence of great support for the movement.
 As their chief argument against the present hotel rates, the travelling salesmen hold that firms and corpora tions in other lines of business have taken their losses in order to help the recovery of business. Compared with this attitude, they hold, hotels have to some extent at least delay ed further reductions by maintain ing their rates, thereby increasing the cost of marketing. The agreement which is now being circulated has the endorsement of the International Fed eration of Commercial Salesmen's As sociation, which is at the forefront cf the fight nationally.
 The 31 commodities are given, fol- lowed by the April, 1920, second, the April, 1921, price and finally the per centage of decline: Choice Michigan navy beans 2 3-4 cents per pound, 1-2 cents, 29 per cent; Rio coffee, per pound "A cents, II cents, 54 per cent; coffee, better grades, 40 cents, 9 cents, 37 per cent; highest grade soft wheat flour, per barrel S1325, S8.25, .3S per cent; bakers flour S14, S8, 43 per cent; white cream meal, per bar rel $9, $3.75, 53 per cent; dry salt meat, square cut, per pound 22 cents, l2 cents, 43 per cent; Snowdrift lard, per case SIS, S5.s8, 55 per cent; lard compound, tierce basis, per pound "A cents, 10 1-2 cents, 56 per cent; choice rice, per pound 13 1-2 cents, 3 IA cents, 76 per cent; corn syrup per case S4.65, $2.65, 43 per cent; granulated sugar per pound IS cents, $ cents, 43 per cent; standard toma- toes, per dozen S1.50, S1.1O, 26 per cent; standard corn, per dozen, S1.75, Sl.15, "A per cent; pork loin, per pound 31 cents, 26 cents, 16 per cent; creamery butter, 66 cents, 46 cents, 50 per cent; country butter, 50 cents, 70 cents, 50 per cent; pork butts, per pound, 70 1-2 cants, 2l cents, IS per cent; eggs per dozen 40 cents, 20 cents, 50 per cent; cheese per pound 32 cents, 20 cents, 37 per cent; fore quarter beef per pound 13 cents, s cents, 3S per cent; hind quarter beef / cents. 19 cents, 30 per cent; break fast bacon in 1-pound cans 57 cents. 4o cents, Is per cent; breakfast ba- con, unsliced per pound 37 cents. 27 cents, P per cent; sheeting 10 IA bleached, per yard 90 cents, Il 1-2 cents, 54 per cent; sheeting IA pieached S2 cents, 37 1-2 cents, 54' per cent; face towels per dozen, s225, SLY, AS per cent; table linens S1.05. 67 l-2 cents, 36 per cent; bed spreads S225, S1.65, 27 per cent; bath towels. per dozen, $3.50, $250, 29 per cent.