Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-27
THANKSGIVING Dinners
COST MORE THIS YEAR
Citizens Forced to Pay High
est Prices in Twenty
Five Years.
Government Experts Compile Stats
tics for Various Cities
in Country.

Edibles necessary to make the Thanks
giving day dinner table complete cost the
average American citizen more this year
than during any OF the last twenty-five
years, according to government statis-
ticians. They cost say the experts, from
IS to 100 per cent more than they did
ten years ago, and from Is to 20 per
cent more than any Thanksgiving day
during the last six years.
There were many contributory causes.
Thousands Of turkeys spoiled during the
unreasonable warm wave of a week ago;
the crop yields were shortened because of
last summers drought in some sections,
the alleged cold storage combine, which
the Attorney General is sending the in
vestigating probe after, and the steady
soaring Of prices generally, are all blamed
to some extent for the expensive meal of
today.
Even Mrs. Hen is blamed to some ex-
tent by Department Of Agriculture Of
ficials, who are reluctant to place all the
blame for egg shortage upon cold storage
they say. caused the hens to stop lay
Ing sooner than usual.
Price Of Turkey Higher.
The rise in the price of turkey seems
to have extended all along the route to
the consumer. beginning at the barn.
yard. where the farmer received an av-
erage of Is cents a pound for his birds
about half cent more than he got last
year. But turkey is not Thanksgiving
bird at all, according to experts.
THE Lord never intended turkey to
be the Thanksgiving food of the country
goneYally.' said DR. Mary r P0nnin
the expert in food research in the fed
eral bureau of chemistry. Christmas is
the time for turkey. Green goose is the
Thanksgiving bird, and is generally used
in Europe, where st. Martins day Is
celebrated about this time of year. In
colonial days in New England, where
THE winter season sets in early. it was
different and more favorable to turkeys
but such conditions do not prevail over
the United States as a whole"
The family which turns from turkey to
chicken, pork or beef will find prices uni
formly advanced. Hens show an average
Increase Of cents a pound; pork. 2 to s
cents; rib roast. 2 to 10 cents.
Potatoes Also Soar.
Sweet potatoes are about the same
price as last year, but white potato crop
100000 bushels below last years and
dangerous plant diseases abroad which
have checked imports have forced in
crease there.
Apples, oranges and grapes are scarce
because of a short crop. Cranberries, with
a normal crop, are a little higher than
last year. Flour and sugar are uniformly
cheaper and butter shows no COMPARE
tive advance.
Eggs, however from incomplete returns
dated November ID, from principal cities
show increases ranging from to a cents
dozen over last years prices
Statistics Compiled.
Agents Of the bureau of labor. which
has been making a special study Of
prices, have compiled statistics showing
prices of certain commodities November
10 in cities which from their geographic
location should fairly represent conditions
throughout the country. Their figures
showing present prices and those of two
score and six years ago, respectively, are
as follows:
New YerkmEggs, 55, 4s: At and So; butter
p Is e 20; sirloin, %, 20, Is. IS; pork chops,
philadelphia-Eggs. so, "A. 40, 40: butter. u.s.
& - 40 srI hsns = e. g g no1 5eas,
IS Is ,s gStat9es i per s. pesk. 60
30 IS, -.
Baltimore-Eggs, As, IS, So, Sc; potatoes, o.
80 ~, "a.
Boston-Eggs. 55 so. 40. 80; butter. 40. 49,
ST. 3S; hens, Is. %. o., 20; rib roast 25, 49, IS
IS; sirloin. So. Is. 80, 80; pork chops o. 90 90
10; potatoes, %, SO, IS, %.
10 e;sf' Sens s. H. 81 sst sssts, g. o.
20. %.
bs9 ~ hens l. 81 q 80 80 s;,d butter
Is: pork chops u.s. is, is, l:h -
Lcuisyille-Eggs; 20, IS; 80 p; butter. 40. 90
Is. II, Is; sirloin. 22sl, Is i8. 10; pork chops
IS, Ii, Il. Is: potatoes, 30 ., 90 25.
st. Louis-Eggs, 42ls. 10. 32h Is: butter, 42k
20. 37ls. 3D. rib roast, 22ta Is. l2h, I2S; sir.
loin. 80. 221s, 10. Is; potatoes. %, 80, 25. Is.
San Francisco-Rib roast %, Is, IT, Is: sir.
loin. %, Is, -. Is; pork chops, %. 20, is. is.
Washington.Eggs IS, 49, 80, 80: butter. A.
e. e. 90 pork chops, e. il. II. is: potatoes es
%. 80, 20. Is.
SUES OUT ATTACHMENT