Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-18
Dealers Say Reduction Has
Not Reached Washington.
TROUBLED BY CUSTOMERS
Declare All This Talk About Lower
Prices Annoying.
ALL NOT TREATED ALIKE
Charge Is Made That Some Retail
ers Can Buy Meats Cheaper Than
Oehers-Variety in Values.

The wholesale market for meats and
vegetables is as high today as II was "A
year ago. except on a few articles, and
III there has been a substantial reduction
In prices i'm the cities of the north and
west il has not yet reached Washington.
The retail dealer is paying practically the
same prices for his stock and he cannot
today sell any cheaper than he did last
year"
This statement was made today by the
manager of one Of the largest commits
sion houses in the city, and the assertion
seems 10 be borne out by comparison
OF prices today with those OF a year ago.
a year ago a side OF beef sold at ~
and cents per pound. Today the same
meat is quoted at 7la and 10 cents per
pound. This, however, is a cent below
the top of the market a month ago. There
mas been slight reduction I'm the price
OF pork wholesale, and T. G.. Mayberry,
manager of the local branch of the
Sclwarzschild e. Sulzberger Company.
says that he is looking for substantial
reduction in short time
Lamb Cheaper; Veal Higher.
Lambs, alive. are selling at from 1 to
1h cents per pound lower now than they
did year ago, while calves are about
cent per pound higher Eggs are 1 cent n
dozen cheaper. and potatoes and onions
are selling at about the prices of Novein-
yer, 1909. There has been a drop. how
ever. In poultry prices. Dressed chickens
which year ago were quoted at 16 to
IL cents. are quoted today at II to Is
cents, and alive chickens have dropped
from 10 cents to IL to IA cents Hens,
alive, today are selling at from IL to 12l.
cents. A year ago they were n cent
higher. Dressed hens are IL cents today
against IL to il cents last year.
The big drop in chickens and hens is
from the middle of summer when they
We're from to 10 cents per pound higher
Turkeys are quoted higher than last year,
when they brought IL to 171e cents alive
and 1s to 20 cents dressed, against Is to
10 and IL to q cents today.
Vegetables Are Going UP.
L. c. Howard, a broker representing
several of the largest vegetable growing
concerns in the north and west, states
that he Is advised that beans, onions and
potatoes are all advancing in price, due
largely to bad weather and to bad rail-
road accommodations for shipping Cab
bage. Mr.. Howard says. will remain at
present prices.
Reports of differences between the meat
packers and the retail dealers as to the
reduction in the price of meats, which
come from New York today, are but par
TALLY confirmed by local dealers. whole
sale and retail.
There are some retailers here who in
sist that there has been no material re-
duction made to them by the wholesalers
except in the cheaper grades of pork
products. A great many insist there has
been no reduction at all in the prices OF
beef. The prices of lamb. they say, vary
almost daily. But all insist that the
choice cuts of all meats have not been
reduced. They say these cuts are bought
by dealers who must have them to sup
ply their trade and who get for them
whatever they can. the price varying &C
cording ITO the customer.
The comment made by one of the retail
grocers noted in The Star yesterday that
sale houses make a discrimination, .charg-
ing each retail dealer what they can get
from him, and ssssis, their quotations as
maximum prices, has tattracted attention
among the retailers. Many Of them now
say they have long suspected such a con-
ditiOn. but had no means of verifying It
until the reorganization of their local or
ganization. which was formed that its
members might compare prices and dis
cuss their general welfare. Even there.
however. it is declared, the man who is
favored by the wholesaler, from motives
of policy. refuses to disclose the facts.
Wide Variance in Prices.
Inquiry as to prices among the retail
dealers generally indicates a wide vari-
ance in the prices of meats. Not only the
quality of the meat sold is attributed as
reason, but with others the difference
between credit and cash sales, the isola-
ton of the community supplied by GER
tain dealers, the expense of sending for
and delivering orders and like reasons
Some dealers say that the very small
stores which advertise meats below the
general average of prices really make
more money than the larger stores be
cause they sell i'm small quantities and
always take advantage of fractions, be-
sides charging higher rate for less than
q pound than If they sold the pound.
Many of the smaller stores il is declared.
are patronized by people who never buy
by the pound fraction of a pound as
such, but "five-cents' worth or ''ten-cents
worth" which leaves the dealer free to
give what he likes for the amount. This.
it is said. is especially true I'm the grocery
and meat stores which supply the poorest
class of the population.
One of the prominent dealers on 14th
street declared today that the wholesalers
have made no reductions to him. although
he says he has reduced the price of loin
pork from % to 20 cents, and the price OF
certain grades of smoked ham the same
A dealer I'm the southwestern section
Of the city says his prices this week are
the same as last week, and he sees, no.
reason for change. He declared that
western pork and home-dressed pork had
gone up cents pound in the past
week, and that he Is selling the former
at 15 cents and the latter at Is cents
pound. Shoulders of all kinds, he ex-
plants. are bringing IA cents. He further
saws he sells lamb at prices ranging from
s to I6 cents and veal from 121sc to 25
cents, according to the cut Porter
house he sells at 20 cents, sirloin at IL
cents, round steak at Il cents. chuck
roast at II cents, bacon at from % to -
cents, and sausage, western, at II cents
and homemade at IS cents.
Higher in the Northwest.
Compared with these prices are those
IF a dealer in the northwestern section
who is selling porterhouse at from 25 to
70 cents. sirloin from 20 to % cents,
round steak at 20 cents, RIB roast at
rom IS to 20 cents, chuck roast at Is
.ents. rib lamp chops at 20 cents. loin
amb chops at % cents, leg lamb at %
,ents and bacon at 30 cents. Ham. fresh
md smoked he says. he sells at % cents
w the whole or half ham. BY the
BOUND, sliced. 90 per cent or more 10
Ldded. Shoulders sell for 16 cents.
A large dealer in the northeastern sec
ton whose prices are well up to and in
some instances in excess of the north
western dealer. deprecates the agitation
,yer prices, because, he says, Il makes
MS trade dissatified and the customers
demand lower prices. He feels he ought