Conclusion of the Depression years

Mrs. Jesse Anderson had a 1940 Rich Hill Review that lists these prices:10 Ibs. sugar 47c with 24 Ibs. Kausas Seal Flour for  $1.22; ¹/2 gallon syrup 49c; 5 Ibs. Kausas Seal Flour $1.22; ¹/2 gallon syrup 49c; 5 Ibs. Kausas Seal Flour  Bobby coffee - 2 Ibs for 25c 

Driskill Dry Goods advertised prints at lOc, 15c  and 18c a yard. Beasley Clothing had men's work shoes for $1.69 and sport shirts for 49c.

Oleo Margarine was white (looked like Lard) and had a little capsule or envelope of coloring in the box.The oleo had to be softened, then colored because the law did not allow colored oleomargarine to be sold.This oleo sold for 15c a pound but would have been too much competition for the dairy industry if colored.

Small cans of vegetables sold for 5c a can, bread 5c a loaf and oxydol 10c a box.

Milk was delivered to the door each morning by the Maplewood dairy. Glass bottles were delivered in the oint and quart sizes. Clean empty bottles were put on the porch and picked up when the delivery was made. Milk could be paid for by the month or money could be placed in the empty bottles and paid for on delivery.

There was no minimum wage and organized labor was not very strong.

Economic conditions were made worse by extreme drought for several summers. This reduced the farmers yielda great deal. seeds were not drought resistant and much of the experimentation of the 1930's produced hybrid corn.

If the farmer participated in government programs by planting a limited number of acres, the government would by his grain. This eliminated the possibility of a surplus on the farmers hands. He could by the grain back if the market price went higher than the government had paid him.  

This period marks the beginning of government aid to the needy. this help came in the form of jobs, food clothing, and aid to dependent children. The Social security Act of 1935 gave people a feeling of securityfor the years when they were no longer wage earners.

The event of World War II brought about the end of the depression years as the war created a demand for more jobs, more workers, and more money came into circulation. Every economist knows that the solution to one economic problem merely creates another.  The war economy started and inflationary movement, and over a period of year, we once again have a high rate of unemployment. 

We do not ever want another depression and in general many people feel that we are better off with today's inflation and other economic problems than we were during the 1930'