The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-25


 A comparison of food prices for the Chrfstmas dinners that will be served today with prices quoted by grocers and butchers five months ago after the war started and last Christmas is fn- teresting.
 With the single exception of flour, foods of all kinds are cheaper th,s year by from 15 to 20 per cent than they were last Christmas. And with the same exception, they are from 15 to 20 per cent cheaper now than they were in August and September, when the "wnr scare' was at It's height Meats in general are 20 per cent lower now than four or five months ago." said Tom Tanner of Tanner Bros and they are fully 20 per cent cheaper than Christmas for 1913. The only way l can account for this latter is the ex- tremely big crops of all kinds of pro- duce and meat stock. Hogs and cattle were raised to a larger extent in the United States this year than ever be- fore and the prices of meat therefore are that much lower. My Christmas
 
 year over 1s13."
 W. S. Henderson of Buehler Bros. stated that he did not believe meats were much cheaper than right after the war started, but that they were about 10 per cent cheaper than last Christi mas
 Henry Fowlkes of Fowlkes & Myatt said: Sugar is about 10 per cent | cheaper than four or five months ago; flour is about 10 per cent cheaper: gro- ceries in general, ! would say, are about i5 per cent cheaper than right after the war started. As far as I am able to say ofr-hand. prices are about | the same as last Christmas" Sugar Much Cheaper Sugar, I believe is fully 25 per cent cheaper than it was four or five months ago." said R. E. Orr of Orr & Roberts. Flour. however. Is a little higher Meats of all kinds, l under stand, are cheaper and groceries in general l would say are about 15 per cent cheaper than four months ago." Flour is about the same, but su- gar is fully 15 per cent cheaper than
 
 after the war started" said J. B. Shrop- shire of Shropshire & Daniels. Fancy groceries are about the same in price as they were then, but the staples in general are cheaper.
 The wholesale grocerymen of the city report wholesale prices on food staples | from 25 to 50 per cent cheaper than ] four or five months ago, and consider able cheaper than last Christmas. They l state also that the volume of trade is very good, compared with a year ago, 1 before there had been any European | war even heard of.
 All Food Prices Reduced w. B. Douglas of Douglas Eros: Practically all lines of produce are very much cheaper than last Christmas and when the European war began Last December prime Virginia apples .were quoted at s5.50 per barrel. The same fruit l was disposed of this week in large quantities for $3.50. Oranges and grapefruit are about 10 per cent l cheaper than this time last year. Staple vegetables in some instances | are almost 30 per cent off, as com | pared with the quotation of five or | six months ago. Irish potatoes are now quoted at 75 cents per bushel while the price several | months back was S1.25. The vel tune of business was not quite as | heavy this year as last, but every thing considered. the merchants on l Morris avenue did an excellent business, and stocks are well cleaned up"
 c. F. Bell: Business in he wholesale district has been good this Christmas. and sales have been heavy. I believe sales have
 been as heavy this Christmas as | 1o ct hrtf ,.rin
 on an average from 25 to 40 per
 cent. Cranberries sold this week
 at from s6 to ST per barrel, while l the price last Christmas was from | $10 to SIP. Turkeys were also re-
 duced considerably and were excel lent in quality"
 J. o. Taylor: "The merchants on
 Morris avenue have DO Kick com l ing this Christmas despite ex- tremely low prices that have pre- 1 vailed on many commodities. Meal ] is selling at about 20 cents sack
 less than at the beginning of the European war, but rice has ad- | vanced about F cent per pound. I, Prices on canned goods and listed groceries are firm. and little change l has been noted since hostilities be- i gan in Europe"
 Situation in Fish Trade B. B. Hudson: Birmingham mer- chants nave certainly had great
 bargains in fish and oysters of all kinds this Christmas and for some months past Just before the be- 1 ginning of the European war the
 Independent fish companies along the gulf coast declared a little war of their own on two huge com panies which have heretofore con-
 trolled the Birmingham market T. The fight has waxed warm for the
 past seven or eight months and prices have been slashed in an alarming manner. Red snapper is today quoted at 6 cents as com l pared with price of 10 cents last 1 December and gulf selects are 1 quoted at $1.50 per gallon as com
 pared with last years price of 31.75. Other prices have been likewise af- l fected, and I believe the whole
 sale price on fish is cheaper today than ever before in Birmingham"
 : nh, alo