The diamond drill., 1921-04-23
MERCHANTS MEET


steps to perfect the work incident
Thereto.
II was decided by the merchants
to take steps TO promulgate among
the people of the community facts
and figures regarding the prices
charged. the service given and other
data surrounding the merchandising
OF wares In this community.
The work will be dn the line OF
campaign OF education TO inform the
people on merchandising matters up
on which there seems TO be a lack Of
appreciation at the present time.
| Crystal Falls is hike every other
community In the country. There is
a belief that prices here are higher
than IN other parts OF the country
when, as a matter of fact, there Is
very little difference. One thing
that many people forget is the extra
service that they exact from their
merchants, which extra service must
be paid for. There appeared in the
500 News the result OF a. canvass OF
prices in different parts OF the coun-
try made by the commission OF SauIt
Ste Marie. The Diamond Drill Is
publishing these prices for the infor-
nation OF IL readers Prices at Mar
quette and the 500 are given on staple
articles and 1t will be noted thtaf
Crystal Falls prices-we compiled
them from prices charged last We'd
nesday by our stores-are about on a
I Nuf at4
in some OF the lower Michigan cities
where freights are different are some-
what lower. The price list appears
in another column. Look IL over
carefully for there is much informa-
| tion in il.
The day following the appearance
OF the prices in the 500 paper there
appeared an article written by
dealer which ought TO be read in con-
nection with the above and with the
prices printed in another column OF
this issue. IL is as follows:
Referring to the article in yester-
days NEWS regarding prices on GER
tain food products here. as compared
with prices charged in other cities,
will you kindly allow me space to
ask a few questions and correct a few
points, not only for the information
OF the consumers here in the 500, but
TO take little OF the curse off the un-
desirable advertising that our city
gets from showing il To be the most
expensive city, in which TO live. in
the state, for Il must be remembered
that your paper has very large cir
culation far beyond the boundaries
OF Chippewa county.
Il do not wish TO criticise, In the
least, the action OF the commission
in taking up the reduction OF the cost
OF living as that Is the crying need OF
this country at this time, but / do
think that they should have gone
more fully into this price question be
fore publishing the comparative fig
ures
I'm quoting the prices charged
here. they (the commission) have evil
IDENTIFY quoted, not only the highest
prices that they could find here but
have quoted the price. delivered at
the home. We should all remember
that II costs money to deliver goods.
Are they sure that the prices given
them from other cities. are those for
deliveries at the home?
did other cities, when quoting the
prices charged. say anything about
the quality OF the articles listed?
WAS the milk pasteurized or not?
Was II 2.S per cent in butter fat or
3.5 per cent or higher?
Was the creamery butter of high
grade or was II low grade?
There is something wrong about
the price of A cents for creamery
butter at Grand Rapids If that price
is right, then the quality OF the butter
is very low, for high grade creamery
butter has sold on the markets OF
Detroit and Chicago for several weeks
at 46 cents or higher and that in car
load lots to the jobbers. Now IL high
grade butter can be retailed in Grand
Rapids at ~ cents, the price. whole
sale, would be several cents higher
than that which would bring II down
TO where the jobbers in Detroit and
Chicago would quickly grab up all
that was offered.
"rhe price OF eggs here is not az all |
high, as compared with other points |
when we consider that our surround |
ing county supplies only very
small part OF the eggs used. the bal |
ance having TO be shipped in, and
when freight charges. breakage in |
shipping and cost OF returning the /
empty cases are taken into account
"The price of milk here is given
as IA cents for quarts and cents |
for pints while milk has been selling
for several weeks at II cents for
quarts and cents for pints. and that /
is pasteurized milk that Is guarantee
ed 10 test not less than 3.5 per cent