The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-12
AMERICAN FOOD PRICES ADVANCING Coffee, Sugar and Potatoes
 Are Soaring ANXIETY UNFOUNDED Food Experts Claim That General Cost of Living, However, Is
 Lower Than Last Year
 at This Time
ANXIETY UNFOUNDED

New York September n.-While thou sands are starving in China, and F'rance is rent with riots in protest against high food prices. there is renewed attention in. the rnited States 10 the fact that sugar has reached it's highest point in F wears. the coffe prices are near and thai potatoes are selling as high as $l.lo a bushel in the field.
 Now householders are asking; "Wlli this winter see a recurrence of conditions of laO9-'1o when the cost of living reached it's apex and declined only after many so-ealled boycots against meats and other high priced commodities were declared throughout the land?''
 re this question economic experts seen here today answer no. Prices will be higher they say, in some instances above those of last winter, but they add that the man who provides his table with plain everyday fare, avoiding fancy brands and near luxuries may await the approach of cold weather without un- due anxiety.
 IT is pointed out that generally speak ing with the exception of coffee, sugar. potatoes and a few canned vegetables, Ser tember began with conditions more fs.. orable to the consumer than was the case year ago. On September l. mess pork was quoted at sl9 a barrel whole sale. as against S24 on the same date In 1910, the wholesale price of ham IS. little more than b cents pound as compared with is cents in the carly fall of last year. western lard is selling at fraction more than cents as against mere than F cents in September, 19lo ana butter and eggs are both compara- lively reasonable, and few cents cheap CT retail than in last September.
 Flour Is Lower
 Flour of rood quality is selling at low est retail prices at $5.s5 barrel, the same price that prevailed at this time last year. and bacon may be had at some stores for 20 cents pound as against 5 and 9 cents q year ago. The average family steak costs about 2S cents a pound as it did last year though experts say that with all feeding crops short it is not unlikely that beef will go higher as the winter progresses.
 The cost of poultry will be largely de- terrrined by cold storage holdings. lndl- cations are that the shortage of potatoes is serious. not only in this country but in Great Britain and Germany In the fall of last year one could buy good uotatoes in the fields at B cents a bushel, today the price ranges from S5 cents to more than a dollar. Canned peas, beans and tomatoes also will be higher, but iice remains cheap and unless there is marked advance in pork, it is argued, the man of slender means can provide for his family without serious strain.
 Sugar and coffee are phenomenally high, but those who are studying the market predict that decreased consumption which invariably follows a prohibitive advance. will soon restore these two breakfast ta- ble necessities to more normal level
 Coffee and Sugar High
 No. standard Rio spot coffee brought 13Ssc a pound wholesale in New York Saturday, as against 10lsc a year !go and the standard grade of granulated sugar was quoted wholesale at 6.70c ger mpound, the highest level since July, 1899. Failure of the European sugar beet crop and poor prospects in Cuba are given as the cause of the abrupt jump in the sugar market.
 It is almost impossible to strike an in telligent average of price to consumer so much depending upon the location of the dealers store. The following table of 25 standard commodities, however shows the prevailing wholesale prices when the month of September opened These figures have changed only slightly since.
 Sept. Sept.
 ArtfcIeJ 1911. 1910.