The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-05
COST OF LIVING STILL LIVE TOPIC
 IN BIRMINGHAM Visitor Compares Prices of Staples In America With
 Those In England QUOTATIONS ON LOCAL
 MEATS AND STAPLES Ford Says Cost of Living Is Hieher In Birmingham Than In New Orleans.
 Further Discussion of the Subject.

Edward Hopkins of Philadelphi ia, who spends d good part of his time in Eng land, was in Birmingham yesterday. MT. Hopkins discussed the cost of liv- ing in America as compared with Eng land interestingly
 The cost of living in this country is high, indeed" he said, but Lon don has got you beat in number of staples. For instance. the December price on eggs there was 75 cents q dozen, and there is good demand for them at that price. In the summer they drop as low as 25 cents sometimes. but they never go lower than that. On the other hand, however, some things run to the opposite extreme. I recall the price of hay. which sold at $17.50 ton. I understand the price here is in the neighborh ood of $50. An investi- gation of this subject would be inter esting.
 T notice that you have taken up
 the plan of a cooperative grocery company. and you have an interesting subject before you. The principal of
 
 and it's success cannot be questioned.
 In fact, Judging from conditions as
 I have observed them in England, the success of stores run on this plan Is somewhat dangerous, so successful do they become. Men who go into these stores those who are stockholders, find them so good that they are unwilling to let loose their grip, and may be in rli tn among themselves. However, a store
 run on this principle would no doubt
 be good thing for this city
 Higher Than New Orleans.
 President A. H. Ford of the Brming-
 ham Railway, Light and Power company
 said yesterday afternoon in discussing | the cost of living in Birmingham: T | came here from New Orleans some time | ago, and I find that 1t costs more to | live here than 1t did in the Crescent City | cannot state what per cent the in ! crease amounts to, but 1t Is clearly mo- | ticeable"
 Asked what he thought of the plan for | cooperative grocery company, MT. l Ford said: q have not given that mat 1 ter thought and for this reason cannot l give an expression as to whether or not | | believe it would be a success. How | ever, I believe any plan that will bring | prices down will enjoy hearty recep- | tion."
 q don't know what the plan of the | cooperative store is," said John G. Brad
 lev. clerk of the Jefferson county crim- l inal court, yesterday, but if it's good i thing I'm for it. If it's a bad thing, | then I'm agin' it.'
 1 No decline was noted in the prices of | staples and groceries yesterday The cur rent quotations have prevailed since Mon- | day morning.
 The local agencies of the big packing | compan nies report a slight reduction In | the price of lard. No decrease Is noted, 1 however, in either fresh or cured meats.
 Quotations By Packers. The following quotations were given ! by the Evansville Packing company yes | terday:
 Rib bellies, 71a cents a pound; clear | bellies. S1a cents; leaf lard, Sla cents compound lard, 711 cents; kettle rendered lard, the best 9h cents pound; hams Il cents a pound; beef sides, the best S1s cents a pound; pork Joins, cents; spare ribs, cents; neck bones. S12 cents; pork sausage cents pound Swift & Co.'S prices varied little, as follows:>
 Rib bellies, : 2-3 cents a pound; clear bellies, cents; leaf lard, SIS cents; com pound lard, 7s cents; kettle rendered lard, | 97s cents basis; hams, 1O1a to 13 cents a pound; beef sides, to cents pound; pork loins, 91a cents; spareribs, S1z cents; neck bones, 3ia cents, and pork sausage, S1h cents.'
 The prices on both fresh and cured meats tuctuates daily.
 Prices of Reail Meats. | Ben Holzer quoted the following retail prices on his meats yesterday afternoon: "Porterhouse steak, 20 cents a pound; tenderloin steak, 15 cents; rib roast, 15 cents; stew meat, to cents; beef trump roast, 121a cents a pound; rib roast, the best 15 cents pork roast, 121a cents; pork chops, 15 cents; best pork sausage. 12l5 cents a pound; breakfast bacon, 20 cents pound by the piece and 25 cents a
 pound sliced; ham, by the piece. F cents, sliced, 20 cents."
 T. M Dyer, butcher at Five Points, quoted the following prices:
 "Porterhouse steak, 25 cents. tenderlolu steak 20 cents; rib roast, 20 cents; stew meat, ' cents beef roast, 10 to 121a cents; pork roast F cents; pork chops, Is cents; best sausage, 20 cents breakfast bacon, by the piece. 20 cents pound sliced, % cents ham, sliced. 20 to % cents a pound, by the piece, IA cents a pound.'
 It will be noted that there is quite wide range between the packers and butchers quotations. It is the statemen. of one of the retailers. whose prices are quoted above, that the loss from cutting the bone out of steaks the fat, the scraps and the shanks must be accounted for. The butcher, who caters to the consumer, it is said must pay the packer for the weight in meat which is lost In cutting out fat, bone, etc, and having this to account for the price on what is sold is