Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-06-10
Famine Prices for Food.

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| Famine Prices for Food.
| The Express Of Wednesday makes the fol-
lowing remarks upon the present high prices
| Of food in New York, some of which are pecu-
liarly applicable to this city at the present
time:
"The complaints respecting the present ex-
brilliant prices of beef, flour, and provisions in
general, are becoming all but universal in this
part of the country. clearinghouse keepers
have advanced their terms. The butchers
have advanced their prices. So have the deal
ers in vegetables. So have the grocers. The
bakers don't advance prices, but they reduce
the size of their loaves. Butter is up, potatoes
are up, bread is up, everything is up and go
ing up. Meats in this market are higher, at
this moment, than they have been for twenty
| FIVE years past. Nearly every description is
held at figure which puts it beyond the reach
of the laborer and mechanic. This is certainly
an extraordinary state of things in city which
may be said to be, in many respects, the very
store-house Of the land-the grand repository
for the rich products of the great west, brought
hither every day and every hour by railroad,
steamboat, canal, and every other mode of tran
sit and conveyance. There is something rot
ten in Denmark as it is well known there is
no actual scarcity of any of the necessaries
of lite, though it suits the purposes of specula-
tors and middlemen to favor the impression
that beef is scarce, that butter is scarce, that
potatoes are run out, and that vegetables gen.
orally are in very bad way.
"Now, we have not doubt that much Of all
this is-to use o vulgarsm-all CANNON. We
have some reason, indeed, to believe that our
supplies Of cattle are rather short, but not so
short as to justify anything like present prices
Wealthy cattle brokers here are understood to
have been lately buying up great quantities Of
live stock on its way to this market from the in
terror, and purposely keeping back, so as to have
just so much on sale here as is deemed expe-
dent with view of keeping up the prices, and
no more. Consumers are now really paying
three dollars per hundred for beef more than it
is actually worth. Eight or nine dollars per
hundred is fair price. Anything beyond that
is downright extortion. The brokers and
spectators, however, have the game all in their
own hands. They have the advantage of the
consumer, and as long as things remain as they
are, we can see no remedy. We could, no
doubt, bring these jobbers to terms, if we were
to all stop eating meat for week or two But
then, who will lead off? That is the question.
1t is very desirable to put bell round the cats
neck, but who will volunteer to do the job?
""We take this occasion to inform the city
butchers, that cattle are coming forward rap
idly from all parts of the country. We desire
them to bear this fact in mind, and to inform
the spectators gift, the next time they GO UP
to the Bulls Head to buy.
"On Thursday last, train Of As cars, loaded
with cattle, left the Central Railroad depot in
Buffalo. There were $50 head Of cattle on the
train, which is the largest load of cattle that
/ 1-cs FL
pories have similar record about scarcity.
Therefore, don't believe too much in the scar
city theory. 1t is true to certain extent, but
not to the extent reported.
"In regard to some other articles of food we
are cognizant of certain tricks of the trader.
which go TO explain why it is we have to pay so
dearly for what we eat in the vegetable line.
I'VE are informed by a person who ought to
know, that it is the practice Of parties bringing
vegetables and fruit to this market to destroy
them in large quantities if they do not bring
the expected prices. THE motive, Of course,
is well understood) If this be true it is an
outrage upon the public. Food is ordinarily
dear enough and scarce enough, without its
being made more SO by this wanton waste.
"If there is no reason for the present high
prices of beef, in our opinion there is still less
for quoting -four in this market, at retail from
$40 TO $l2 per barrel. 1t is not pretended that
there is short supply of that article. Our
| storehouses here are full Of it, and the ship
| ments to Europe have all but ceased. The
| arrivals by river and canal, moreover, continue
| large. Speculation, doubtless, is largely at
| work, also in this direction
The millers ofSt. Louis, we see are begin
ming to turn their attention to New York, as
the market for their best brands of -four
Prices at New Orleans and along the southern
coast don't pay at the present high rates for
wheat. One of the principal millers there is
now manufacturing two thousand barrels of his
first brand for New York. Others will follow.
We are glad off In the common course of
things, It is reasonable to infer that whatever
tends to augment our supplies must help to re-
duce prices. The st. Louis brands are welcome.