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Show u THE HIGH PRICE OF NECESSITIES This appears to bo an ago of consolidation. con-solidation. There aro trusts and unions, un-ions, associations and corporations. Labor has combined, and so has capital. capi-tal. There aro societies of employees and societies of employers. The butchers butch-ers havo an organization with tho grocers, gro-cers, and tho real estate men who collect col-lect rents and loan money aro banded together. Tho man who sells you your coal Is In a confederation with tho. follow fol-low across tho street. Tho milkman who doles out tho milk has an agreement agree-ment with his rival around tho corner. Tho chap who saws off tho ico is a comrado of tho man who saws off the ice for your neighbor over the way. Every sort of laborer Is tho sworn companion of other sorts of labor. All havo rules and "scales oL prices," and tho result is that tho consumer, who has no union, seems to bo getting a shado tho worst of It. Wo havo been told so often that high prices mean better times that a great many of us bellcvo it, but somo way or another when tho bills aro fotted and tho balanco on hand Is represented rep-resented by a row of ciphers minus any units wo havo our doubts. Now so far as Truth is concerned, It would like to see everyone given, what tho President designates as, "a squaro deal," but there aro somo of us who aro not getting it, henco this kick. The cost of living in this section of the country is too high. Don't say It Is not, for tho intention is to prove it. Wo havo had a fow words to say before be-fore In relation to the cost of commodities, com-modities, and are going to say a fow words more. For instance: Eggs aro quoted at wholesale at $5.35 per case They sell at ictall at 22 cents per dozen. There aro 30 dozen in a caso, and the profit thereon is $1.00 for tho retailer, while tho wholesaler has put $1.10 down In his jenns us hU share of tho deal. So that tho middlemen between tho consumer and tho men havo taken off $2.70 per caso; it may bo more, but wo are nssunilng that the wholesale man told us the truth. California Cali-fornia cabbage sells wholesale at 2 cents per pound, but when the housewife house-wife goes to market sho Is charged 5 for it. That's a wide margin of pro-lit pro-lit surely. Caullllower wholesales at 10 and 11 cents per pound, but sells at retal for 20. If that Isn't a whacking profit, show up. Cucumbers wholesnlo for CO cents per dozen but relnll for 25 cents for two. One cucumber soils wholesnlo at 4 VI cents and retails at I2V2C How is that, for getting It in tho neck? Dressed beef is quoted at CVa cents nnd 7 cents per pound. It retails from !) to 22 cents and somo cuts cost 2fi cents. Try buying a tenderloin ten-derloin steak and sou how short of (.5 cents you come when you get an ordinary ordi-nary 0110. Dressed veal sells at 8 cents per pound. It retails at 18 and 20 cents. Dressed hogs sell nt 7V4 cents por pound; pork is quoted at 17 Va cents, and when you get tenderloins, tender-loins, such as mother used to put In tho sausage, you pay more than that. Spring lambs sell at $11.25 and retail at $1.25 lo $1.50 per quarter. Tho fore-quarters aro $1.25, tho hind quarters quar-ters $1.50. That makes $5.50 lor tho lamb's quarters, to say nothing of tho other portions, such as the tongue, tho liver and heart, and tho lamb stews cut off tho aforesaid "quarters." Mr. Butcher makes a very comfortnblo profit pro-fit on the lamb. Mutton sells nt 7 and 8 cents wholesnlo, but when you buy chops It Is 15 cents and n log of mutton mut-ton at 85 cents per leg Is a cheap buy. Fish prices aro no better. Salmon wholesales at 13 cents, but retails for 17 cents por pound. Tliat prico for salmon is outrageous. Salmon ought to bo laid down horo at 10 cents. Halibut Hali-but wholesales for 10 cents and retails re-tails for 15. Striped bass wholosalos for 15 and retails for 20. Catfish, com-mon com-mon old catfish, that in other countries coun-tries Is regarded as tho cheapest sort of fish, retails for 15 cents per pound, and a pound Isn't much at that. Sturgeon, Stur-geon, that aro hold in distasto by tho citizens of most communities, sells for 15 cents per pound. Think of that! Poultry Is only within reach of tho well-to-do. Dressed hens wholesnlo at 17 cents and nrc quoted nt 20 cents retail. re-tail. Twenty cents por pound for olu hens. Lord of Israel, deliver us from the pirates who charge 20 cents for old hens. Utah broilers weighing from three quarters to a pound and n hnlf sell at $.'! to $4.50 per dozen and retail for 40, 50 and 00 cents each. Cheese, that Is rated at 12 cents wholesale, soils for 20 cents rotall. Sweltzor that sells for 18 conts wholesale whole-sale Is quoted at 40 cents retail. Llm-burgor Llm-burgor that wholesales at 20 conts Is sold at 00 cents retail, and yet there aro peoplo who will say thoro Is no discrimination against tho Gorman and tho Dutchmnn. Edam wholesales at $12 por dozen nnd rctnlls for $1.25 each. Comb honey wholesales at $2.75 per crate and retails at 15 conts per pound. Why, a can of old sorghum sor-ghum molasses that a Missouri nigger nig-ger would turn his noso up nt this tlmo of tho year, retails for 40 conts per can. Time was when wo could turn back a loaf and catch up on our bills by turning to corn broad and bacon, but 1 . wfl with bacon at 22 cents and 25 cents , Sm and corn meal at $1.70 and $2, we , M havo no shadow of a groat rock in a III I weary land to hldo behind. Wo are i nt tho mercy of tho dealers. I ifl This should not be. Prices ought 3 to bo lowered. If not then tho farmer 1 H should bo permitted to coma In and B H hawk his produce wherever ho wants 9 H to. Wo aro trying to build up a city 1 here nnd tho cost of living is so high jl Hint no 0110 can bo nttractcd to Salt It w Lake as a plnco to live. How any man 1 H getting $1.50 and $1.75 as a day's jl K wages can Hvo and support a fain', ! inE after paying rent nnd coal bills is a IB mystery. 5 Nor aro prices or necessaries alonu j H In their loftiness. Rents aro far and ! H awny beyond what they should be. flKj Worklngmon cannot Hvo and pny the :! rents charged. Business houses can- 1H not do well 011 tho exorbitant prices jfflZ charged. No 1-roomed houso ought to KJ rent for moro than $12 per month; no H 5-rooined house for 111010 than $1C. Un- Q til we become more conservative In 1 M our demands Salt Lake will never bo H tho great city if ought to be. H Owing lo tho high prices for wool IS clothing Is high, but that Is a natural nu result and cannot be helped. Clothing B is going to be higher still. Tho nb- H normal price asked for wool Is bound to send the manufactured product Jf still higher. In tho lino of dry goods prices aro as cheap hero as anywhoro. m Tho big houses sell at very reasonable rales. Mj Wo may bo criticised for calling nt- j. lentlou lo this condition. But it is jlB? advertised In every issue of tho morn- M lug papers. Tho wholesale and rotall 'II quotations aro advertised each day '.TS and aro regarded as correct, being fur- iObI nlshed by wholesalers and rotnllors UM of authority. Peoplo who want to 0 como hero Investigate these ecwidl- I'm lions and when they soo what pricos m aro charged Ihoy hesitate. In no g plnco In America aro wo hammorcd C and Hogged with the knout of high jl? prices as wo aro horo. Somo may say ItM look at Butte, but Butto has an offsot ra in this that wages aro high enough to $)i counterbalance tho cost of living. II. Is not tho wholesaler nor tho retailer yjjg who make tho community great. It' Is UH not the banker or tho broker; It Is R tho chnp who oarns his monoy from Bb day to day and spends It In support nt of his family. It Is not tho big trans- action that makes a community 'JB great; it is tho scattering of money S by tho wngo earner. The subllmo S sentiment embodied in Goldsmith's mk stanzo: S "III fares tho land, to hastening Ills a wT prey fi Where wealth accumulates and mon jjB decny. 05 Princes and lords may flourish and m. may fade; M, A breath can unmake thorn, as a breath has made. m Hut a bold peasantry, tholr country's In; pride, jlpjj Onco stricken down, can novor ba m supplied," W$ applies to tho situation as well as any. O Doprivo tho toiler, tho common man, M and his family or tho right to a llv- Wt lug and you havo disaster to tho com- jlj munlty. It is tho Interest ot tho ordi- M nary fellow that needs looking after; J when ho Is cared for tho othorB havo MM no trouble. Wji Up to this tlmo wo havo not been Sjj ad vocal es of largo department stores m being established In Salt Lake to the M exclusion or tho smaller dealers, but JR If this sort ot business continues wo m will bo among thousands to welcome da tho coming of almost anything that will lift the burden wo aro now car- M ry,n8- - i |