The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-06

uots and now our markets arc praoti.
caily bare Of them. Canning meats
usually begins in July. when the corn
fed cattle are ready for slaughter. and
The s1ook put up II one year generally
lasts until about the beginning Of the
Next canning season. This year the
market has been cleaned out almost
three months ahead OF time. Cornsd
besf IL selling At %. 40. for ~ pound
packages. the highest price that 4 has
reeohed IN six or seven years, while .
year ago IL was selling for el.75 or
ol.eo. Drawn. whioh ID made OF beef
and pork cooked together and canned,
10 also much used f6t military stores.
especially abroad. and this has gone up
In price In proportion.
"The governments, it is reported, has
contracted for 40, 600 pounds Of beef ex-
tract. This ID es much as the whole
country uses In . year usually, and each
pound Of extract takes about 90 pounds
Of meat to produce it. On all the goods
IN our line which the government will
want for the army there is likely to be
further advance IN prjoe. temporarily
at least but, on the other hand, IL must
be remembered that the formation Of
the larger army will take away just so
many persons who are now supplied by
the regular markets.
Many retail grooers put up the prices
Of tea and coffee few days ago be-
cause of the proposition in congress to
put tax upon them, but there was no
other excuse for this, and the PROPOSE.
tion has been abandoned. Canned goods
have increased in price somewhat. and
the men who deal In them declare that
there 10 but small stock ON hand and
that they expect somewhat higher prices
when the government begins TO buy for
war purposes. Neither the war nor tho
war scare has affected the prices Of but
tar, milk, fresh vegetables or fruits. nor
do the dealers expect that 1t will affect
them materially.
Sugar is q little dearer than 10 has
been, the prices at Wholesale for cut loaf
and crushed being just little less than
8 oents . pound, and there 10 Q chance
that IL may be made shade dearer by
the war ON account Of the risk Of the
capture Of vessels bringing 1t to our
ports. Hides. coffee, rubber and cocoa,
which como from South America, may
all be eent up somewhat In price by rea.
son of this sort Of war risk Three-quar-
ters of all the coffee used In this coun-
try comes from Brazil and consider
able portion of the balance from vene-
zuela and Central America, and American
vessels coming from these ports will run
great risks Of capture in passing through
Mona strait in the West Indies unless
our feet should drive the Spanish clean
out of thoss waters. Still this risk,
which would add something TO the
prices Of goods, oan be avoided by ship
ping In neutral bottoms, and its effect
will probably net amount to much on
what the housekeeper will have to pay.
Unless the leading business men Of
New York who deal in such goods are
greatly mistaken the housekeeper may
take heart and confidently expect that
the advance in prices which has alarm
ed her recently will be confined to a
slight increase upon meats and grocer
les and upon the special articles on
which an additional stamp tax is levied.
American and Cuban flags are the dear
est things in the market. One great
house which supplies almost all that
are made for tho trade has raised its
prices 100 per cent and cannot I'LL its
orders. New York Sun.