The Detroit times., 1910-04-21
FOOD PRICES TAKE
SHARP DROP IN
NEW YORK
Eggs Are Fully Fifty Per Cent LJw-
er Than Six Weeks Ago, While
Other Necessities Cost Ma
terially Less.
Chicago Also Reports Reduction in
Cost of Eatables-Hogs Are $1.95
Below High Figure.

NEW YORK. April 21.-To the
farmer. who just now is being blamed
for the high cost of meat products,
the wholesale grocer is today giving
credit for the downward march of
prices of other food products.
The decline reached the retailer to-
day. Up TO this morning while the
Wholesale list showed a material re-
duction. the average citizen was I'M
affected. He was purchasing the
old stock at the high figure, but the
action OF the wholesalers In explain
ing that there had been material
drop forced the middlemans hand and
prices slumped.
Sample reductions reported were:
Flour, off one and one-half cents;
beans, 10 cents bushel; pota-
toes, 35 cents barrel; eggs, fully
so per cent lower than six weeks
ago; barley, off two cents bushel;
oats and oat products down 10
percent; all canned goods reduced
nearly one-third.
The reason for the drop, the whole
salers say. Is that green goods and
fresh vegetables are coming into the
market in such profusion that prices
OF the fresh product were, In many
instances, nearly as low as the pre-
served.
CHICAGO, April 2l.-Comparisons
made today Of the current wholesale
prices OF necessities OF life In Chicago
show that the cost of living has de-
creased and is expected to decrease
still more. The decreased prices have
not yet reached the consumer in all
products affected, but wholesalers
said today that they would reach the
consumer soon.
The comparison shows the following
decreases in wholesale prices since
Dec /, 1909, FIVE months ago: Wheat,
8 IA cents; corn, Is ga cents; oats,
Z IA cents; -four, 60 cents; potatoes,
10 cents; eggs, II cents, butter D
cents: cattle, 35 cents; hogs, S1.95;
sheep, 70 cents; lambs, 60 cents.
One significant fact shown by the
comparison Is that the chief neces-
stiles of life that have increased In
the wholesale price since Dec. l. are
plates and rounds. These have In
creased from 35 TO 40 per cent In five
months This Is accounted for here
by the nation wide-campaign of edu-
cation of how to cook such cuts and
also by the absolute control of prices
by the packers. In five months the
price of cattle at the yards has de-
creased 35 cents a hundred weight,
yet plates No. 3" for instance, which
A "a
pound now sell for ga. 1t is charg-
ed that the packers, during the recent
meat strike" taught American house
Keepers how to prepare cheap cuts
and then deliberately raised the price.
Further decreases In the prices or
-four and butter are looked fol-. The
butter market is expected TO be affect
ed by the attorney-genefaPs agitation
against the Elgin butter board, while
the recent decline in wheat prices on
the Board OF Trade is expected to af-
feet -four prices materially
WASHINGTON, April 21.-"Prices
OF vegetables and all green foodstuffS
have fallen off from ten TO fifty per
cent In the last three weeks, said I
commission merchant here today.
THE effect Is apparent in all lines OF
foodstuffs, as the demand for canned
goods is diminishing rapidly"
Fresh farm products are arriving on
every train from the south.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, April 21.-
Nearly all foodstuffs are getting
cheaper, according TO wholesale gro
GERS. Canned goods have been re-
duced an average OF two cents a can.
Dried fruits are from 30 TO 30 cents
bushel cheaper, and -four is down
so cents a barrel. While there has
been a slight drop in the price OF
pork, there has been no appreciate
reduction In beef
CLEVELAND, O., April 2l.-The
Present material decrease in the cost
OF foodstuffs 10 the consumer will be
followed by a further slump. according
to the prediction of market men. gro
GERS and butchers today. Butter and
eggs remain higher than year ago,
but the advancing summer season is
expected TO send these down. Straw
berries, unusually early this year, are
priced at IA cents a quart. Midsum-
mer prices generally range about &c
cents. Lettuce is the only vegetable
that has not suffered a slump Pork
prices dropped a cent pound this
week and a further decline Is prom
lscd. Winter wheat -four cropped 80
cents a barrel today. the second time
this year oats products are reduced
ten Per cent. Potatoes. which started
the year at 80 cents. have fallen tn
as. Sweet potatoes have also fallen.
Canned goods have decreased 10 to
% per cent