Pueblo chieftain., 1921-07-25
BY FREDERIC j. HAsK1N


Washington, d. c.. July 2e.-The
ice cream soda and nut sundae bust
ness is very uncertain these days.
Small boys in New York have staged
soda water buyers strike to force
the return of the five cent soda. Chi
cago is conducting a campaign to find
out the fair rate for concosting and
showing across the counter one choco-
late soda. Providence has already
demanded and obtained reductions on
certain fountain beverages. And II
other cities are not following suit
with militant warfare, they are econ
omizine on drinks to an extent that Is
being noticed by the fountain operat-
ors
People are said to be much less
reckless this summer in consuming
UP the elaborate connections with al
Turing names which n year aso were
in great demand. and are turning to
the cheaper drinks. New York deal
ers who have been ladling out so
cent fountain dishes regularly have
specials" But even at fountains
where Is and 90 cents is not disdained
by the clerks. trade Is said to have
dropped from 10 to so per cent this
summer as compared with the same
months last year.
Druggists and consectioners every
where are ponderinG what TO do
about fountain prices. The 10 cent
soda is not considered a possibility
by most OF them now. II IL appear
ing here md there among the dealers
who feel that cirmustances warrant
it's return and where pressure Is be-
ing applied. The majority of drug
-. 10 IA n tho acnfim Z
can be measured, insist that there rs
no profit in 10 cent soda or Is
cent sundae.
Tho public is naturally asking why
this is so. A couple OF summers ago
when the cost of an ice cream soda
with no fiourishrs shot up 10 II cents
or even 20 cents. tn. reason for the
increase was laid by fountain pro-
prIetors to the high cost Of sugar.
Sugar was certainly skyrocketing
when II reached four times its normal
price and the consumer accepted the
explanation.
Sugar Costs Normal Again
But now. sugar Is back to nearly
where IL was in the days when ice
cream soda sold for a nickel and the
closest observer ia unable to detect
any move on the part of most foun-
talr owners to return to even 10 cent
drinks.
Druggists admit they made n mis-
take in attributinE the rise In soda
prices primarily TO the high cost OF
sugar. They now say that other
factors contributed equally to tho
rise. However. milk is back TO al
most pr.-war prices: eggs are cheap.
These are the ingredients which pre-
sumably increased tho cost of Ice
cream. why doesn't the finished
product follow the trend of prices on
raw materials?
To this drurgists-eNoept the Few
who have lowered fountain prices
say tina, still other factors must be
considered in fixing costs and profits
/ They contend that labor all along the
| line, from tho handling OF ice and the
making of ice cream. to the dlspen.
/ sing of drinks at the fountain is not
back to Tho level of cents, or even
10 cent soda days. Some large con.
Germs have cut down the number o'
| employees rather than lower the
wages Of fountain clerks. only un-
desirable. inexperienced employees
\ can be had. they say. at lower pay.
The druggist goes on TO mention IN.
high express rates. the rising cost
Of Advertising. the stili soaring price
I of fruit .yrups. and nuts. and the cost
Of ice cream. Ice cream. supposedly
tho barometer of fountain prices. has
! dropped to varying eNtents in differ-
ent parts of the country quesuon
naire sent out by The Bulletin 81
Pharmacy brought in 3ii answers
| ehowirE Ice cream costs In 40 states
A resume of the answers indlcateo
tina, the most noticeable drop IT
prica is in certain sections of New
England where bulk cream tumblec
from $3.50 gallon IN 1920 to s1.2'
ID, ia7I. other scattered sections re
mort reductions Of 10 to rs cent
under year ago figures.
sbown tn he astonishirsly varied
running from, 500 to $50 sslloI
on hulk cream and from sl.25 to sS'A'
! a gallon on bricks.