The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-07
PRICES TOO HIGH FOR CHILD LAWS
Secretary Mercer Meat
Prices Are Inflated. by Welfare Organization.
Wholesale Charges Observe National Child
War Levels. Day January so.
ADD PROFIT OF loo PER CENT MISS MCFARLAND DIRECTOR
Big Decrease in Volume Of Efforts Being Enforce
Business, Is Claim. Present Regulations.
Farmers Are Buying in Very Children Must Attend Al
Limited Quantity School Sessions.
Secretary Mercer Declares Meat
Prices Are Inflated.
Wholesale Charges Now at Pre-
War Levels.
ADD PROFIT OF loo PER CENT
Big Decrease in Volume Of
Business, Is Claim.
Farmers Are Buying in Very
Limited Quantity.

with the, Wholesale prices OF beet
and pork at virtually. pre-war,, levels,
the retail prices OF meats are now ma
terially lower than at any time In the
last three years but are still too high
in many localities. in the sopinion OF
]. H MERCER secretary OF the Kansas
Livestock association s, 80
The average wholesale price OF car
cass beef Secretary Mercer points out.
has recently been slightly under, the
level prevailing in 1914. In Novem-
Der the wholesale price Of light pork
ieins. whence comes the most popular
chops declined approximately 40 pei
cent. or about 10 cents . pound. Beef
steers which sold at from SIS TO. SIS
n hurdFed. In 1919 Mr. Mercer said.
hae sold at from Sc to 50 in the last
year.
sthe consuming demand viii no doubt
turn sharply to fresh pork"
Profit OF 100 Per cent.
DeclarinE that the meat. dealer on
the average is adding more than 100
per cent 10. the Wholesale price. Score
tary Mercer said this is principally be-
cause there are so many retail estab-
lishments- ns i aa..ss..
public is paying for the meat food of
this country just d little less than. they
paid when the, prQducer- was getting
twice as much for his product as he is
today. There. are SO MANY people en-
gagged in the retail business; so many
people engaged. in the distribution OF
these food products especially in the
smaller towns in this section Of the
country.
Volume. of Business Decreases.
'"The volume of business, has de-
creased so tremendously that they
have even got to hold these price UP
to a. higher. level than heretofore. in
order to come anywhere near break
ing even-s The. farmers are buying
in limited quantities. because their
purchasing power has been Seriously
impaired
> discussing the disparity between
prices to the producer and consumer
of farm products, Secretary Mercer
said:
Il can not analyze as TO why there
producers receive for what they grow
and what consumers pay for the same
products. For instance last summer
many of the farmers in Kansas sold
their eggs from the farms at 10 cents
a dozen know that at the same
time they. were being sold retail in
the Topeka grocery stores at 20, % Il
and 25z cents a dozen. .=+-...s IL
Those. things are handled Just like
meat. The farmer produces the eggs.
He takes them to his merchant who
| allows him the price OF, say, 10 to IL
cents at that. time. Then they are
transported, on to distributing points
like Kansas City and placed in. cold
storage at about that price, and. where
they go from there, OF course, i am not
supposed to know. But by the time,
presume, that they reach the con-
Stunning public in the eastern cities the
price has been raised to somewhere
around SO or. so cents, and maybe 20
cents per dozen There is a spread too
great"