New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-03
TRIBUNE PROBES
FOODSTUFF PRICES
fSO Chain Stores Agree
Approximately on Half
a Dozen Staples.
SOME PROPRIETORS
REFUSE QUOTATIONS
Reports Of Excessive Charges
To Be Investigated for the
Benefit of Housewives.

Benefit of Housewives.
For the purpose Of Aseertaining the
rensrAlly current prices for food sta
pies in the present unnatural state Oh
business growing out Of the European
war. a representative Of The Tribune
made a survey yesterday Of the retail
grocery neld, represented by . number
Of the large chains Of stores: .
The prices obtained were for hall
dozen staples of specific quality ana
4ha number Of stores included IN the
ehains covered by the survey was
about $50. situated in all parts OF Man
haitian and The Bronx. The. approx
mate agreements found in the prices
asked ~ this large number OF STORES
seemed to indicate that these are PROD
ably the legitimate prices. the house
wife might expect to pay In the pres
emf state Of the Wholesale market.
while these large chains Of stores
have aome advantage over the small
Individual dealer in the contracts they
baye heen able 70 make and the stock
thew had to carry them over
nresent market conditions, inquiry IN
= number OF individual stores revealed
the fact that their proprietors conlo,
az a rule, meet the competitive prices
Of larger rivals.
In some instances, However tnere
have been reports of individual stores
hitting" prices. The prices here quoted
will hold throughout the week, unless
there should be an excessive cnange
In the Wholesale market
A comparison by the housewife OF
the prices charged her. by her dealer
With those here quoted will give her
= fair idea Of whether she is paying
excessive prices. Sometimes she VIII
find. she Is getting bargain, owiag
Ia d lucky contract made by the dealer
before the jump in prices came.
Will Probe 'Extortion."
further investigation in detail Will
he made by The Tribune into price
eon5itions q ong the chain stores and
;ndtvi6ual stores, as well, especially OF
those In which excessive charges are
reported. ..-S. 1or
comparison were Hecker's nouF, SoIu
Medal -four, the best American SussI'
medium -priced tea and coftee, Japan
ice Carolina rice and butter costing
about SIS cents q pound wholesale.
These articles were chosen because
thay constitute a definite market quail
;tv on which to base the price COM
PEI RE be- nr,ees before the war are also
given as indicating the amounts OF
increase which have been made by the
various dealers quoted. The prices
for four are on 24h-pound lots; -,
Richard Gristede, of Grlstede Broth-
ers. 1891 Park av., gave the toliowlng
prices charged In their manhattan "i'N
Bronx stores;
lwG 4 ~ centa
CoIS Medal hour. IS cents: Aug J. u cent?
Test American sugar-5 ~ n centsi Aug
% cents: 81 -, g cents Aug. ], II cents:
Medium ooffee, "a cents. unchanged sinoe
AS Medium tea. IS cents, unchanged since
Aug. ]. .A.-...A .,ro. Aus 4
Carolina rice. cents; Aug. !, eentH
Butter for which SO cents was paid whole.
save ceiling at 81 cents; the same grace OF
butter brought 70 cents wholesale Aug
and was sold for IS cents
Daniel Reeves, whose main office Is
at Ash West 125th St, gave the follow
ing prices;
Beekers -four. % cents; Aug. l. 70 cents;
cod Medal -four. 90 cents: Aug. ], ~ cents
80 Inarican sugars 10. 81 cents; Aug
Ss cents; 81 n, q cents; Aug. l, IL cents
Medium coffee. Is cents. unchanged hinoe
AN Medium tea. IS cents. unchanged since
Carolina riea. pounds for Is cents. un'
Ohsnssd 81! s5n0 Which, ASs cents was paid wholly
sale selling 3: g 9snss; t sss same snd ~Ss
soid for 81 cents
Quotations Similar.
= Oupenheimer, with headquarters
xt 621 West 1S0th ST., gave these
prieesi
c,o,d Medal -four. 50 cents; Aug. L 50 ceuts.
~ osntsi sH 10, 70 cents Aug. 1, Is oents,
Medium coffee Is cents. unchanged
Msdiurn tea 81 cents. unchanged;
Japan rice Ssn nt5t q p %nchanSed.
Butter for which % cents was palo Nnoi S.
saie. selling at IS cents; the same gra Tee
nrouRht 90 cents Wholesale Aug l. ana was
sold for So cents.
From P. Parker's store, at 1890
Eighth av., the following prices were
obtained;
Hecksr's -four. % cents; August /. ~
eSS e;oIo Medal % cents; August !. y cents,
Best American sugar. pounds ~ cents
AuRust l. 81 cents; Sh pounds 10 oeh'si
9sssoest coffee, rs cents, unchanged.
Medium tea. IS cents, unchanged.
Japan rice. 8 pounds for 20 cen'~ I'M
csToiina rice. cents. unchanged.
Andrew Davey, whose main Office 10
AZ $50 Greenwich st.. quoted the fol-
lowing prices:
HecEsr's -four. % cents; August l. +"
cents. -. , "a o.ntn
T5S@t American sugar. 8 pounds, ~ centsi
August i, rs cents 81 pounds IL cents
Medium coffee. ~ cents; unchanged since
Medium tea, 50 cents; unchanged since An-
ispsn rice, s cents August 1, sh cents,
Carolina rice, cents; August 1. y cents'
Butter for which SO cents was palo whoieS
sale selling At 81 cents the same grace Oh
S,,ttar was eoid for 80 cents August /.
A number of proprietors OF other
large chains of stores were asked to
Give their prices for use in this COM
parison, but they refused to do so Tor
various reasons.
NCTTTcE DI Ar tn Am