As I go through the old newspapers I often check out the advertisements. The prices of things back then just amaze me.
For example here are a few things that Wallace’s Store had on sale in January 1945:
Peanut Butter 24 0z. jar.. .40¢, Cowan’s Perfection Cocoa 1 lb. tin.. .25¢, Ladies heavy denim slacks $2.75, Men’s work boots, heavy sole..$4.49, Ladies shoes, pumps..$2.95.
Coffee was .55¢ a pound and milk sold for .09¢ per quart. That sure sounds good doesn’t it? I thought so until I turned the page and found this article:

January 18, 1945
“Minimum Wages For Male Employees Increased
Edmonton, Jan 6: - Minimum wages for male employees in Alberta have been increased by a new order under The Male Minimum Wage Act to be gazetted in the first issue of the Alberta Gazette in 1945, according to an announcement this week by Hon. C. E. Gerhart, Minister of Trade and Industry.
The new order will go into effect on February 1, 1945.
The previous order applied to a work week of 42 hours. The new order will apply to one of 40 hours, but the maximum work week of 54 hours will still be permitted.
Wages on a per hour basis have been increased five cents per hour for each of the four recognized classes of worker according to ages.
Under the new order, and assuming that the employee is engaged on a weekly basis or for a longer steady period, the worker 19 years of age or over will receive $20 per week as compared with the previous $18.
Eighteen year olds will get $18.50 instead of $16.20.
Seventeen year olds will get $16 instead of $13.50 and those under seventeen will get $13.50 instead of $10.80.
When the work week totals less than 40 hours, the employees will be engaged on a per hour basis.
Those 19 or over will get .45¢ per hour instead of .40¢. Eighteen year olds will get .40¢ instead of 35¢. Seventeen year olds will get .30¢ instead of 30¢ and those under seventeen will get .30¢ instead of 25¢.”
Now people can earn in one or two hours as much and more than they earned in a week.
When you get the old calculator out and do some math, then those good prices don’t look as good anymore.
Barry Mason dropped in the Review office to tell me that Spirella was a brand name for a corsette. He said a company representative would go to the home to measure up the customer and that would explain why in the old newspaper it said that “mail orders excepted for all customers having measurements on file”.
Also received a letter from Assisted Living printed below.
Thanks guys and gals!

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