The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-04-08
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SURVEY
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FROM PAGE ONE

period in history, Mr.. and Mrs.
Consumer paid little or no heed to
steadily advancing prices, because
there was always enough Nicola"
in the family purse to buy almost
anything or everything available.
Things Are Different
Now at this pre-Easter season,
1916, things are somewhat differ
ent. Business generality, is II to
Is per cent down from what it was
u to 10 months ago. Department
store sales confirm this. Clearing
House figures are much below the
same period year ago. Postal
receipts and savings are slowly
declining. Thousands who were
making three figure weekly salar'
les two years ago are now work
ing for half that and in many
cases much less. Hundreds are
not even employed and in some
cases, savings bank balances have
dwindled steadily or ceased to ex-
list. But the price-line continues
to bend upward and only now are
we beginning to feel its effect.
Lul Economic Sense
Like a slow anesthetic, the price
spiral has been creeping up on
Wilmington consumers since early
1941-lulling their economic sensi-
bilities gradually-five, seven, 10
Is percent as the months rolled
by. Now the average is much
higher-from so to 300 per cent in
some instances.
This is borne out by compar-
ison of advertised prices in Viii
mington newspapers for the month
Of March, 1e41, as against the
same month of this year. And
the comparison is made all the
more interesting by the fact that
suppliers the nation over are send
ing voluminous chorus toward
Washington demanding higher cell
ing prices on the ground that pres
ent ceilings allow them insufficient
operating profits, while at the
same time, the financial press Of
the nation publishes earnings re-
ports Of these same suppliers, the
vast majority of whom are earning
from so cents to $500 per share
for holders of their common stock.
Because we all must eat, a COM
parison of food prices in Whining
ton now against 1941 prices, may
be of more prime interest than
figures on intangibles. Eggs, an
important part of the great Ameri-
can breakfast were go per cent
higher last month than they were
in 1941. Before Pearl Harbor,
eggs in cartons were being ad-
vertlsed by one well known food
store here at Is cents per dozen.
Two weeks ago, the same firm
advertised eggs at Al cents, and
just a few months ago they were
asking, and receiving, 70 cents.
Items Shoot Up
Bacon prices have shot up about
the same ratio, while cheese, quot
ed at 10 to % cents in 194l, is now
costing Mr.. and Mrs. Wilmington
anywhere from 80 to u cents per
pound-quite a sizeable difference
Gained salmon the pink variety
which was readily available at
most food stores in March, l941,
at two cans for q cents, was sell
ing last month for q cents per
can, little difference of 100 per
cent.
While OPA did succeed in hold
ing sugar prices from sky-rocket-
ing like they did during World
War /, the increase since l94l
has been sizeable for this COM
modify never-the-less-a mere mat
ter of As per cent. New potatoes,
always a trifle higher at this time
Of year, loom large in the COM
parable price picture here. In
l941, food stores were advertising
new potatoes at a price of four
pounds for II cents. Two weeks
ago, the retail price in the larger
stoIeS was TWO pounds Tor II
cents, or an increase in five years
OF 100 per cent.
Flour Moves Up
Flour, (not Truman brand, has
also jumped in price over the five
year period but not as rapidly, or
FOR