Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-08
MEATSAT H|GHLEVEL
Quotations Above Any Record
ed Since the Civil War.
EXPLANATION BY DEALERS
Scarcity Of Butcher Stock Follows
Unusually Severe Winter.
LATE SPRING ALSO A FACTOR
Views of Packers and Wholesale
Dealers Regarding the Margins.
Plea of Retailers.
EXPLANATION BY DEALERS
LATE SPRING ALSO A FACTOR

Retail prices Of meats in Washington
took the expected advance this week. and
are at levels that. according to retail
meat dealers who have been in business
in this city for many years, have never
been attained here since civil war times.
| The price advances, which have been
| steady for several weeks. are expected
to continue. according to we'll Informed
retailers. They do not look for any ma
terial relief before July 1 at the earliest.
Scarcity Of butcher stock OF all kinds
is given as the reason for the unprece-
denied prices, and the exceptionally
severe winter and the lateness Of the
spring season are said to be responsible
for this scarcity.
Retail dealers declare the price ad-
vances are forced on them by the increase
of cost to them. Wholesalers. however,
and local representatives Of the big pack
ing houses declare tho increase in retail
prices are not altogether warranted by
the rise In wholesale prices. The pack
ers and wholesalers say that when they
are forced to advance their prices the re-
tailers seize on this rise as an excuse to
boost prices. This the retailers deny, and
say they are selling on a close margin.
Prices Are Soaring.
All the spring lamb on the Washington
market, 1t is stated, Is stable-fed, no
grass lambs having yet come in. Lamb
prices are higher than ever before. legs
being 25 to Is cents a pound; French
chops. 40 to Ks cents; loin chops, % to 80
| cents; saddles. Is to % cents, and stew
| lamb Is to 20 cents a pound.
Veal outlets sell today at IS cents a
pound: veal chops, % to 80 cents: roast.
ID cents. hrQQS 1S fn Go. log, !,
% cents; sweetbreads, Is to 90 cents.
Beef prices: Prime rib roast, % to 80
cents: short rib roast, IS to 20 cents
chuck roast. is to 20 cents; porterhouse
| cents; hamburger steak, 20 cents; flank
steak. 20 cents; loin steak, 20 to % cents
stewing beef, 16 to Is cents.
Quotations on pork have not made quite
SO marked an advance. Pork chops are Is
cents a pound: pork roast, % to 25 cents:
fresh hams. 20 cents: fresh shoulders Is
cents, and tenderloins, % to 30 cents.
Bacon sells at from % to 30 cents; smok-
ed ham, 30 to 35 cents.
Figures on Poultry.
Frying and broiling chickens retail at
from 80 to 40 cents a pound: stewing
/ chickens bring % cents and old fowls are
20 cents Turkeys sell at . cents a
pound; domestic ducks. 30 cents a pound
and wild ducks-not extra good-SO cents
pair
Trout sells for 10 cents a pound: sea
bass, 10 cents: striped bass, % cents:
fresh Goldfish, 10 cents; Goldfish steak, 20
cents; clans, 81 % a hundred; butterfsh,
12h cents; paddock, 1211 cents: Spanish,
nrackerel. Is to Is cents; founders Is
cents; halibut steak, 20 cents: salmon,
35 cents; shad roe. Is cents: shad, IS to Is
cents each: Porgies. 10 cents a pound
filet sole, Is to Is cents; blueflsh. 12111
cents.
Best creamery butter is 80 to 40 cents
a pound, and Philadelphia butter is 90
cents.
Eggs cost 25 to IS cents a dozen