[shortt] CONSTRUCTION AND NATIONAL PROSPERITY. 303 



was no immediate indication of a slacking in the rate of progress, 

 while the cost of living still increased. The Finance Minister was 

 even understood to be considering a proposal for increasing the salaries 

 of the Civil Service. 



Throughout 1855 railroad construction went steadily forward 

 aided by increasing subsidies from the Provincial Government and 

 the municipalities. The influx of British capital was increased by 

 municipal expenditure on public utilities, the investment of large 

 sums on corporate and private account in the building of towns, and 

 investments in real estate. Naturally prices continued to rise through- 

 out the year, to the joy of those who received them and the indignation 

 of those who had to pay them. 



In another editorial of the Globe on September 5th, 1855, it is 

 observed that the prices of provisions are excessively high compared 

 with what they were a few years ago. The housewife recalls with a 

 sigh the time when she used to buy butter at 6| to 10 cents with the 

 same price for eggs. Now she pays for these necessaries 23| to 27 

 cents. The writer can understand why beef, pork and mutton might 

 be double their former prices, also why flour should be $8.00 instead 

 of $4.00, but he finds it difficult to explain why the minor articles on 

 local markets should have risen to such heights. Chickens, for in- 

 stance, are now 60 cents a pair whereas formerly they could be had 

 for one-third of that. Butter and eggs have even gone to four times 

 their former rates. Eggs are actually dearer in Toronto than in New 

 York and butter quite as high. After canvassing the matter at some 

 length it is concluded that the high prices are due, on the one hand, 

 to the rapid growth of the towns and cities, and on the other to the 

 exceptional prosperity of the farmers. Owing to the unusual prices 

 for wheat, the farmers and their families have come to despise atten- 

 tion to minor products for local consumption. Farmers whose land 

 is held at from $100 to $200 per acre will not descend to truck produce, 

 however high the price. To meet the situation a better organized 

 and extended system for procuring market supplies of food products 

 in particular must be introduced. 



The culmination of high prices in Canada was reached during 

 the winter of 1855-56. Another article in the Globe in 1856 refers 

 once more to the excessive prices of all kinds of market produce and 

 attributes it again to the indifference of the farmers spoiled by the 

 high prices for wheat. At the same time, it is quite obvious, from the 

 general condition of the country, that the rapidly increasing demand 

 of the cities and the unusual diversion of labor to occupations which 

 are not immediately productive of any supplies to meet current needs, 

 chiefly accounted for the situation. The produce of the country 



