The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-23
STEADY INCREASE
. IN COST OF LIVING
Remarkable Upward Trend in
Prices OF Things to
Eat.
FIGURES ARE STARTLING
Bacon Only Article Of Food
Which Has Grown
Cheaper.
Es ARE STARTLING


most marked upward trend OF the cost
of living is disclosed in the Federal
Bureau Of Labor's report OF an In
vestigation of prices for the past ten
years conducted In the important In
6ustrial centres OF thirty-two states.
Fifteen most important articles of
food. as well as coal. comprising two
thirds of workingnan's needs were
Investigated. In many cities the In
vestigators gathered statements OF
merchants On the cost OF living and
specimens OF these are published In
the report
On June Is. 1912. the report shows.
fourteen OF the fifteen articles Of food
were higher than a year before. and
ten had advanced in the past ten years
more than so per cent over the aver
age retail price or the ten-year period
lSS0-1s99.
During the last decade prices OF po-
tatoes changed most and sugar the
least Their advances were lll.S and
last year. bacon. which decreased just
one.tenth Of per cent. was the only
one of the fifteen principal articles OF
food that showed decline in price.
while nine of the fifteen advanced
more than 10 per cent varying from
"a per cent for milk. to 1876 for round
steak. OF the fifteen. only eggs. but
ter. milk and sugar were lower, but
the price OF three Of these four is nor
mally lower during summers than dur
ing winners.
Specimens Of the statements Of mer-
chants in various cities. published in
the report follow:
New York-'.Meats in general are SO
trh "a ~ i,stA ,Ah
longer. will Be obliged to close up
business Have already lost about
5000 since advance in prices"
Chicago-"Jobbing prices on flour
has advanced 80 cents per barrel and
unless there 10 a decline in the near
future. retail praces will advance"
Baltimore-"If the present high
prices prevail much eonger In the
wholesale market. do not know what
will become OF the retail dealers"
Boston-"Cheap sirlioins are 80 high
and poor that am not cutting any at
present Both grades Of cattle have
gone UP. and the above prices just
about let me out without profit" "a
second)-"Beef. especially on cheaper
cuts. 10 to 20 per cent higher" "a
third)-"The high price of meats is
causing US to close our place Of BUSH
ness on or about July T."
New Haven-"Beginning this week
we Will advance cents . pound on all
meats, Is we are paying the highest
price for beef and lambs In my time. I
cannot say the reason. The joboer
blames the farmer: the farmer blames
the high price Of corn"
PhiladeIphia-No money in meats
at the above prices" "a second)-
I'VE paid, June II, 15h cents . pound
for rumps and rounds and III cents a
pound for chucks Of beef. the highest
price in the history OF our business"
Salt Lake City-"EveFything seems
to be at the top. but nothing shows
any decline"
Remarks Of merchants accompanying
the price reports for May IS told the
same story. These are examples:
Boston-"Probably this Is the last
month we will be in the provision
business. The high prices of meats
business fifteen years. but must get out
before We are put out"
Fall River-~The high prices Of meats
have cut our meat business almost in
two. The cheaper cuts. which we or
dinarily sell for to 10 cents a pound.
now We have to get 10 to II cents"
AtlAnta-"The wholesale cost of fresh
meats, four and butter has advanced,
but we stiIl are holding at old prices
MISUNDERSTANDING to the high
price OF feed, the milk supply this
month Is the lowest for May on rec
ord" "a second)-'Meat prices have
made . sharp advance. owing TO the
scarcity In the medium grades II meat,
ana We have been compelled to handle
higher-priced meats"
Ailwaukee-we were compelled TO
raise our price Of beef because Of the
raise In the wholesale price"
Los Angeles-The decline Of price
on potatoes ID due to spectators los
ing their grip on the market Ship
ments have arrived from other States.
and rs new potas 3es will come In freely
In . few weeks. they had to let 60"
Xemphis--l have paid more for
meats this year than I ever paid since
I have been in business can't see
any change for some time to ccme."
Cinoinnati-'~The recent floods have
sent cattle to market before their ma.
turity. and grain being the highest In
years has had the tendency to give US
the highest meat We have handled in
years. May IS We paid So cents .
pound for steer cattle: ten years ago.
sk centA"
P7stsburgh-''Good beef 10 scarce and
high and 10 the cause OF driving other
meat up. Long, severe winter and high
price Of grain supposed to be season
Portland-'Raise Of prices for beef
and pork II due to shortage Of stock
This was the showing made for the
food prices In the last year, according
to the report, on the foods Investigated:
Decrease In prfce-Smoked bacon Il
Per cent
Increase m price-Fresh milk. -:
smoked ham. 81: hens. IS: granulated
sugar, 8: Irish potatoes. IS; wheat
hour, 10s: pork chops. H.: pure lard.
1l3: strictly fresh eggs. lIs; corn
meal 1z-7: creamery butter. 1873. sirloin
gteak, III; RIB roast, us; round steak.
lS.G
The sAvancs during the decade. COM
Earring the price June Is last with the
eveSaGe Tor the ten years. was ~ fol- |
lows. GyaQusafed sugar So oer cent.