OCR Text |
Show ONE REASON FOR HIGH PRICES. Almost any retail dealer in drugs, patent medicines medi-cines or food products will tell you, if you ask him, that the retail selling price on some of his commodities commo-dities is fixed by the manufacturer or the wholesaler whole-saler usually the manufacturer. He will also tell you that these goods are never made "specials," and sold under that price, unless it is with the intention of discontinuing the line. He will also tell you that if he sold the article for less than the price quoted to him, it will be impossible for him to buy more of the same goods at any price. Down in New York recently, the district attorney attor-ney has been investigating this condition, and as a result, some manufacturers have been warned that they were entering into a "criminal conspiracy," conspira-cy," and were ordered to cancel the "unlawful contracts" con-tracts" or stand prosecution. In the investigation in New York it was shown that the manufacturers not only dictated the prices at which their products should be sold, but maintained a system of espionage espion-age that put their customers absolutely under their control. Under this system it is said the prices of staple articles were advanced something like 30 per cent, and the beginning has only been made. All of which furnishes one of the reasons for the high cost of living with which most people are struggling. It also serves to awaken a disquieting feeling that certain "standard" preparations which are always sold at one price are not worth quite as much as their price would indicate. Perhaps, after all, there is some virtue in "substitutes" that are "just as good." |