THE RECKLESS RISE
IN PRICE OF FOOD
The Alaska housekeeper is steering
her little craft between the scylla
of Seattle commission brokers and
the charybc j’s of high freight rates
to the haven of the full dinner pail,
with no little difficulty. More than
that, she is face to face with the
danger of having most of her daily
table luxuries crushed between the
upper and nether mill stones of the
food combine, or war prices—a bug
bear under any name would be as
bearish—and the Alaska transporta
tion combine.
Buyers from the war zone are in
all the ports of the Pacific coast.
That foreign menace is not there for
nothing. They say they pretty near
ly had the Yakima potatoes corner
ed and cached in pits, waiting until
they can get cars to shove them to
the Pacific coast and thence across
to Europe, where they are to be eat
en, mostly anyhow, by the idle fight
ing population of the Eastern half
of the suffering n«.
But the Seattle commission mer
chants, and the Alaska steamship
magnate’s, gouls and vampires both,
are overlooking no opportunities to
get in their own gouges. Even in
the stand pat old P.-I. is sitting up
and taking notice. That conserva
tive journal dared to say the other
day, albeit in fine print in the dark
corner of the market reports, that
there was no jusitfication for the
brokers in selling the common gar
den Yakima variety of potato for
$38 when the farmers were anxious
to sell them at $30. But the cuticle
of the commission brokers conscience
toughened to sole leather by criti
cism for crimes against the consum
er longer ago than yesterday.
Potatoes are more of a thermome
ter than an exception. Provisions
have gone up, and up and up, and the
end is not yet in sight and what is
worse and more of it, they are, it
is confoundedly certain, going still
further upward, and from any and
all advices we have received at this
writing, there is no limit but a sky
which, to the commission broker,
looks a very bright blue.
Both the Seattle Commission mer
chant and the Alaska Steamship com
pany should have been, and doubt
less are, as rich as Croesus by this
time, but to both—
“A nickle is a nickle,
And a dime is a dime,
And a dollar is a dollar,
Every time, Every time.”
Heaven speed the day when there
shall be no distinction in pirates,
Genuine
Alaskan Gifts
Made in JUNEAU at
ALBERT BERRY
ARTS and
CRAFTS SHOP
I
At Front and
Main Sts.
Craftsman
I
and civilization will send them all
over the side, blindfolded!
As to the Alaska transportation
combine, there is a fair hope that
it may be checked in its rapacity,
and that without unnecessary delay.
It is all too probable that the com
mission merchant may continue to
flourish, like a green devils’ club
in a wet summer.
There is, for the food situation in
Alaska, just this one faint hope. Nor
way has stopped the exportation of
food stuff from that country to the
war country. Commercial clubs, city
councils, and other civic bodies in
several cities of this country have
petitioned those powers at Washing
ton which have shown some affec
tion for the people during the last
four years, to place a similar embar
go on the foodstuffs of this country.
The theory is that we who are not
at war should not suffer for the
sins of the idle fighters in the trench
es of Europe.
The Alaska optimist, and he is
heard now and then, piping in a small
thin voice, has this grain of conso
lation to offer. There are, in Alas
ka, and even in Southeastern Alaska
numberless places where mealy pota
toes may be raised and late in the
spring—the coming spring — there’s
going to be a small stampede to em
bryo homesteads.
A few years ago, when the beef
trust put up the price of meat, some
considerable number of consumers
worked a meager vengeance on the
beef trust by becoming vegetarians
for good, and there is a way that a
desperate people to retaliate on
the commission merchant. People
can live, you know, on boiled wheat,
its a hard live, to be sure, but there
are people who may be driven to it
this winter. *
S Juneau
Hardware
Company
Invites you to inspect its new
stock of Christmas Household
Conveniences. :: ::
Carving Sets and Game Knives
Mayonaise Mixers, Nut Picks.
Examine our line of Percola
ors, Tea Brews and Trays.
Beautiful and substantial Din
ner and Tea Sets equitably
priced and specially wrapped
for Gifts. :: :: ::
We handle the Sta ndard Cook
ing Range of the W orld; The
MAJESTIC
A full line of Heaters and
small Ranges. Pocket knives
and small shelf hardware in
standard lines ::
JUNEAU :: ALASKA
l here is no doubt that the ladies
of the Woman’s Club would gladly
give the City Council lessons in par
liamentary proceedure. Say boys,
now that one thing about the elec
tion is dead sure, and that is, that
Lena Morrow Lewis is defeated for
Congress she would make waves
getting here from Anchorage if she
thought you needed her instruction.
She knows a few things all righty.
She will organize a special class for
you too.