Year: 1877

In these striking times if the people
would generally strike against paying th,
extortionate prices demanded for bread


stufis, meats and other articles in dali,
use, it would have the effect of bringing
large class of unprincipled speculator,
to their proper senses. This could rea-
Oily be done and without resorting to any
harsh or unlawful measures. The Ameri.
can people, as general thing, use toe
much animal food, and there are but few
of them satisfied unless they have the best
quality of wheat bread, well buttered, al
least three times day. Foreigners are
not so festidious. There are not many
of us who could not do with less of these
articles. We heve other cereals which
make as palatable and nutritious bread
as wheat. and many cheap vegetables
and fruits which could judiciously be
substituted for fresh meats. Nearly all
articles for the table are enormously deal
AS high, in fact as they were during
the greatest period of imitation since the
war, and most of them command two OF
three times the price at which they solo
for twenty years ago. Fresh meats, which
formerly could be bought for five to ten
cents pound now sell from fifteen to
thirty cents; flour has risen from five to
ten dollars barrel; coffee from fifteen
to thirty-hve cents pound, and butter


cheese and eggs to at least double the old
rates, when business was brisk and labor
better paid for. That present prices are
fixed by combination of speculators is
evidenced by the fact that at no period
of our history was there ever a more
abundant supply of the articles alluded
to than now. There is no scarcity OF
any ofthem. The country is overstocked
with provisions of all kinds-but dealers
rather than lessen prices, would prefer tC
see them 60 to waste or be destroyed
Our grain, -four, cheese, butter mutton
and beef are shipped to Great Britain in
immense quantities, and sold in Glasgow
Liverpool and London at from five to
twenty per cent. less than in Philadelphia
and New York. During the seven


months of the present year, the enormous
amount of 54,392, $50 pounds of dressed
beef, and 1895, $3.50 pounds, of mutton,
besides 9532 live beeves and 1850 sheep,
were shipped to the United Kingdom and
sold at from three to six cents a pound
less than is charged for it here. The
meat was all of the best quality, too, for
none other would find ready sale. But
this large quantity thus exported has had
no effect to produce a scarcity with us.


On the contrary, we could ship twice as
much. and have an abundance left fol
home wants. So with our grain-with a


heavy stock lying over of last years
growth, we have just had harvest, and
out of our surplus we could feed the half
of Europe, without the slightest danger
of producing famine here-but tho same
system of heartless combination keep
prices up to fully twice what they should
be. These combination for specializing
in the everyday necessaries of life are fal
worse than the trades unions, and that
is saying great deal. We would not


however, have any resort to any of the
disgraceful scenes we have just passed
through to bring down prices-this car
be better done by being more moderate
in the use of the more costly articles o


food, and substituting cheaper ones il
their stead. A little self-denial would
sosn accustom us to the change, and at
the same time be the means of bringing
prices to a truer basis. Many of the arti'
cles of food which we consider necessa


ries, are in reality luxuries, which can be
easily dispensed with, and often rather
to the benefit than the injury of health