18 Capita! Journal, Salem, Ore., Monday, December 5, 1949 HIGH AS THE SKY I Black Pepper Raises From 3 Cents to $142 a Pound By ItADKR WINGET " New York, Dec. 5 W The wholesale prices on most foods are more than double prewar, but black pepper has gone up 47 times. The retail price has jumped too, but less spectacularly. The housewife at her grocery now pays about 60 cents for the pre war dime can of black pepper' the common kind you use at home. In 1939 the lowest price for black pepper was three cents a pound wholesale. It hit an all time peak of $1.42 a pound early last August, and it isn't very far from that now. : The situation is potentially explosive, pepper men say. It's something like a man screwing up his face to sneeze. He wrin kles his nose, takes a deep breath and everybody waits. Back in 1939, we Imported some 30,000 tons of pepper, mostly from India and Indone sia. Pepper that year averaged Jour cents a pound. The war up set all that. Imports were erra tic. In 1943 we imported only eight tons. The next year not even a shaker full ran the block ade to get in. Such shortages boosted the price until OPA put a ceiling of ten cents a pound on black pep per. That lasted until early 1946 when the lid was lifted. Pepper Jumped from an average of ten cents in 1945 to an annual aver age of 39 cents, to 43 cents, and to an average of 62 cents last year. This year it has moved steadily upward to Its current high plateau. . The end of the war and higher prices didn't increase the pepper supply. In prewar days Indone sia produced 90 per cent of the world's pepper. But the Japan ese wrecked the pepper gardens during their occupation. After they were thrown out, the Indo nesians started rebuilding their Industry. That's slow work. It takes about seven years for a domestic pepper plant to ma ture. And the work was delayed or halted from time to time by civil strife. As a result, India took pepper leadership and turned out 80 per cent of world production. Adding to the uncertainty was the American government's de cision that pepper is a strategic war material in critical supply. It was marked for stockpiling. Such operations are top secret, but government buying always Is a potential market factor to keep the price from sagging. The big uncertainty is Indo nesia, once the world's biggest producer. Some of New York's most important pepper traders have their agents in Indonesian ports where they gather all the information they can on pepper for their companies. But they don't know, they say, what the situation is in the in terior. Travel is difficult throughout the country and in formation is restricted. Some be lieve there may be large stocks of pepper there harvested from gardens that escaped notice. Others think there may be some stocks concentrated from har vests of wild pepper plants or from abandoned gardens. If large stocks were uncover ed, or if shipments from Indone sia should start suddenly, it would have a dramatic effect on the pepper situation. Tract Purchased By McKillop Firm Further development of the Liberty area is noted in plans by the McKillop Real Estate company of Salem, which has purchased a tract of 25 acres from Mrs. Matilda Oakman. The tract Is located between Browning avenue and Cunning ham lane and will be subdivided into lots. Electric power is now available and efforts are being FOR Insured Savings SEE First lfl Federal vwlflyv SQV'n9s fmfmulk First Current Dividend 2J4 1st Federal Savings and Loan Ass'n. 142 South Liberty - 1? Youngest Iron Lung Polio Victim Completely paralyzed at four months old, little Dianne Chubol lies in a respiratory at General hospital, the youngest polio victim to be placed in an iron lung in Los Angeles. The parents, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Chabot of Garvy, Calif., said the child was not hospitalized until two days after she was stricken because of an error in diagnosis. Her condition is critical. (Acme Telephoto) made to bring water to the loca- The new subdivision will be tion. I known as Oakman Acres. Wilder Play Well Presented By Cast From Willamette By EILEEN SCOTT ROSS Stage Manager Frank Lockman looked over a near-capacity crowd at the Salem high school auditorium Saturday night as he appeared on stage for the prologue of "Our Town." The play, a Willamette university production, war under the capable di rection of Prof. Ruane B. Hill who is a newcomer to the school this year. director. Rex Lindemood as technical director, Chic Schmidt on lighting and Mary Louise Lee as makeup technician. Display ing enthusiasm With Lockman's deep voice setting the mood, the simplicity of the Thornton Wilder play was sustained by the actors throughout the three acts. Audi ence interest was noted in the unorthodox setting, which uti lized a minimum of properties, and in the pantomime. - Lloyd Hanson played the ado lescent role with both sincere feeling and humorous touches. Playing opposite was Audrey Bliss, who handled the part ef fectively. The older leads were taken by Dorothy Wood, Jim Lester, Barbara Langley and Dave Place. Sam Pitner was well cast as the pedant, and Cleora Norwood exhibited a fine sense of timing in her comedy. The cast was a large one, and all the members were convincing as townspeople of Grover's Corners, New Hamp shire. Assisting Hill in the direction were Marion Sparks as assistant TYPEWRITERS! The most practical gift for anyone! ROYAL UNDERWOOD REMINGTON CORONA Portables A TYPEWRITER CAN HELP YOUR CHILD TO THINK! 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RUBY RED FOREST GREEN CANARY YELLOW LUGGAGE BROWN Samson Folding Tables and Chairs are strong enough to stand on! Tubular steel construction... baked-enamel finish ...won't snag nylons. Fold easily, compactly away when not In use. Tables have colorful, one-piece tops. Chair seats are padded and covered with long-wearing Samsontex Vinyl upholstery... Perfect balance can't tip or wobble. HAMILTON FURNITURE CO. 110 CHEMEKITA a a SAVE $20 FOR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING Here's a chance to have up to $20 extra shop ping money this Christmas, and make a hot buy on used appliances. Clip the coupon be low and bring it with you. We'll allow $5, $10 or $20 for it on any certified, rebuilt ap pliance in our store. II 4 SALEM. ORECOK can now move into their houses even though the outside street work is not completed. The other provision is that banks or lending agencies can now charge a flat fee of one per cent of the loan to cover such items of expense as pre paring papers and mailing them, cost of appraisals, cost of in spection and other items of ex pense involved in originating a loan. Calumet Farm's Armed, lead ing money-winning gelding, will race at Hialeah this winter for the eighth straight season. The new Parker "51" with 14 precision advances new feature new precision new beauty The beautiful New "51 offers refinements and features never before available in any pen. Filling is fast, simple, sure. A special window lets you see the ink level. This pen writes longer on each filling. Newcon trol safeguards against leaking even at highest flight levels. Come in and try it yourself today! Pens.. $13.50 and upl Sets . - . $19.75 and wp OF I SALEM UWfcfaUM HIT J gas & mm CERTIFIED-REBUILT ranges HERE'S HOW IT WORKS Just cut out this coupon and bring it with you to the store. Select the used appliance you wish, all marked at low prices like these. Then, from this low price we'll give you credit for $5 (if the price is less than $100); $10 (if the price is $100 to $199) or $20 (if $200 or more). TAPPAN-GAS All white procelain, combination trash burner and gas. Waist-high broiler $3450 PROSPERITY GOLD SEAL-GAS Has Minute Minder and Fold Over top. All white porcelain. Just like new $6400 2 UNIVERSAL WOOD RANGE All porcelain. One of the best buys of the year. Your choice . . $3450 1 i i i 1 j A B-GAS I I MONTAG-GAS 1 N0RGE-GAS AB Apartment range. C? J J T A All Porcelain, &4tFt All white poreclain. Has folding t F i Cf Late model. 4ljU Excellent Condition. YJU top. Late model. dSljU Just like new 1"f Real Buy M A steal for .... ; i HARDWIfK nAC I I MONTGOMERY I I MISSION WATER i.m.iiiiii UMJ WARD-GAS HEATER-GAS Split top burners. fj JntA 6 f 20 gal. cap. Heavy tanks. (fvAsA All whit, poreclaln. jJWjU All white jflVjU Fully Automatic. WjU Now " porcelain V Only....! NMONTAG 2 WOOD -u- . . T U Princess -Wood KArMofcj fj V - y fif fill P Y 0 Yl A Late Model. All Porcelain. ,,r,nJ.-r!fIri,S ft I U .( . Y A ff U All ! Price diced to smaller type In good shape. lit l jC J Jl I J& l H. J $5450 S1Q50 WaiAMETIE VALLEY'S LEADING APPLIANCE & HONE FURNISHERS 1 1 1 I I SALEM OREGON CITY j i At MAGIC CHEF-GAS Split top burner, Minute Minders and cooking top lamp. Very late model $3950 TAPPAN-GAS Split top burners. All porcelain. Late Model $5450 D NORTHERN KING This one shows hardly any wear. All porcelain $4950 - - - rj 1 THIS COUPON WORTH 5 fl(D) - 2(D) On a Certified-Rebuilt Appliance Hogg Bros. 115 South Commercial VOID AFTER JANUARY 1, 1950 1 I I I I I 3