Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 September 1920 — PRICES YESTERDAY AND TODAY [ARTICLE]

PRICES YESTERDAY AND TODAY

Country Storekeeper. _Gives Some In- \ teresting Figures. The proprietor of a small country store in a Bartholomew county town says that in 1893 a woman brought 10 pounds of butter to his store and that he paid her 50 cents for it. She also sold him 10 dozen eggs tor 50 cents, thus establishing a credit of sl. For this she received five pounds of sugar, 25 cents; eight pounds of bulk oats, 25 cents; six pounds of navy beans, 25 cents, and two pounds of coffee, 25 cents. A few days ago another woman brought to the store 10 pounds of butter for which she received $6, and 10 dozen eggs for which she received $4. As part payment In merchandise she took five pounds of pugar, 95 cents; six pounds of navy beans, 75 cents; eight pounds of bulk oats, 86 cents; two pounds of cofTee, 90 cents, a total of $3.46. This left a difference of $6.54 which she received in cash. Thus it will be seen that the selling price of eggs and butter had

increased 1,000 per cent, and the price of groceries on her list about 333 1-3 per cent. There are no figures showing how much more it costs her to churn butter now than in 1893. The value of the butter materials is higher. If the hens that laid 10 dozen eggs were running at large the maintenance cost was very low. If they were penned and had to be fed the cost would be a considerable item. Yet a fair estimate of the increased cost of production would still leave a generous profit for such products as eggs and butter. These figures should be interesting to the farmer’s wife who will cast her first vote in the election this fall. We all know that the example given above is absolutely true. While the prices that one has to pay for everything they consume are a great deal more than they were even eight or 10 years ago, eve/ryone has the money to pay them much easier than they could pay the lower prices, then, and still have money left. Who wants to return to the conditions of yesterday?