Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-20
COST Of FOOD DROPS
Taft Declares High Prices Now
Are Subsiding.
GETS WILSON'S REPORTS
Bumper Crops of Nation the Cause,
It Is Declared.
AN INVESTIGATION MADE
October l Quotations Indicate Saw
ing of $500, 900, 900 to Consumer
on Nine Great Products.

BEVERLY. Mass, October 19.-In a
statement issued here tonight, based upon
reports from Secretary of Agriculture
James Wilson. President Taft declares
that the wave of high prices for food has
begun to subside in this country.
'"The wave of extremely high prices for
food throughout the civilized world"
read the Presidents statement, has
| reached its height in the United States
and is subsiding,
1.-THE American people have cause to
be thankful that because of our industrial
prosperity it has not been attended here
with the great hardship which has pre-
vailed in some of. the countries where
high prices have combined with low
wages to reduce the working people to
| a point bordering on starvation
Made an Investigation.
According to the announcement Of
White House officials. Secretary Wilson
made an investigation of the causes of
the prices and the effect of the bumper
crops in the United States upon such
prices.
The great prosperity of the American
| farmer the report to the President snow
| ed. mas Drought dDOUI. d HIdtCA Ioi NOSA Ss1.'N
| in the cost Of food products. although In
many instances the reduction Will not be-
come apparent to the consumer LOT sew
eral months
The report promises that the price OF
meat will decrease notably on account OF
| the bumper corn CROP and after cattle.
sheep and hogs fed from that crop reach
the consumer.
| Secretary Wilson advised the President
| that on the nine great crops or the coun-
4 xxyhnn nat e.
wheat potatoes, flaxseed and hay. the
| October prices indicated a saving to the
| consumer of about 3 per cent, or nearly
$500, 100000.
Farmers Not to Lose.
| The crop increase will make up 10
farmers. however, reductions in price
| Mr. Wilson shows that while the return
to the producers October 1, 1911. amount
ed to So, S6s. OOO. 900. at the prices prevail
ing October 1 of this year, their return
will be 81, 100000.
Mr. Wilson'S report, according to Of
ficials here, shows that the aggregate
crop in the United States Will be ABOUT
90 per cent greater than 1t has been for
years. He shows that the wheat crop
of the year is nearly 1OO,OOOoOo pushels
high grade flour is costing at the mills
SO cents a barrel less than it did a year
ago.
Corn Prices Decrease.
The corn crop. Mr.. Wilson points out,
exceeds 1900 GOO, 600 bushels, and there
already has been a decrease in price OF
corn of cents per bushel. The hay
crop. he says, has increased more than
IL 600. COO tons over year ago. and ne
declares that in consequence the price
per ton has fallen $2.14. This decrease
he maintains will not only decrease the
price of meats, but of milk butter.
cheese, etc.
This years oats crop amounts to 1,4l''-
OcO, 900 bushels, an increase over last
years crop of more than 50 per cent, &C
cording to the report. Most OF this crop
declares. and the Increased crop and low
| er prices-October 1 a bushei OF oats
| cost 1876 cents as compared with 425
| wear ago-will also make for lower prices
| for meats and all live stock products.
Saving on Potatoes.
On potatoes there will be saving OF
nearly 500, 600 in the cost of living
October l the producers were getting o1.1
cents a bushel for potatoes, the investl-
cations showed, as compared with SS.3
cents a year ago. The consumption OF
potatoes is $4,000 600. and the actual
| reduction of cost is $94, 10000 the re-
port states.
This years cotton crop is the largest
on record. and although the price DC
| tober 1 was above last year. 1t was IL
cents less than the price of two years
ago and the new crop mag BRING reduc-
| ton in the cost Of cotton goods.