The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-08-11
MEAT PRICES.
CAUSE SLUMP
IN DEMANDS
Cost of Pork and Beef De-
creases Sales and Forces
Housewives to Purchase
Mere Vegetables.

Vegetarians may be made OF hicn,
mond citizens II the price OF PORK &nu
cattle continues to raise and the large
supply of garden truck lasts.
Butchers who last week paid 1911
cents for pork loinE say todays price
is 22% cents and the Chicago packers
are sending out frozen loins IN place
Of the fresh ones. The retail price rang
ed about twenty-eight cents.
1t Is impossible with the high prices
for butchers to lay in q stock aheao.
This would be dangerous at any rate
with the fluctuating prices on hogs as
O decline of several cents might come
in a day.
It Is said the condition Of the hog
market Is blamable to the SPECTATORS
who are swamping the market at chi
cago. Quotations and supply lists snow
the speculative trend Of the market.
Last week with $4,000 hogs on the
market and q demand which could
have been met with half that supply,
the prices started upward. The follow
ing day with 10000 hogs, and far
demand, the prices were lower. Yes
terday the supply was $4,000. about
average and the prices continued to
kite.
Expects Normal Price.
Robert Mitchell, of East Main street,
buyer, said today he contemplated
normal conditions within two or three
weeks at the most in the hog market,
but he believes that the increase in
beef cattle quotations is justified and
will remain.
Mr.. Mitchell said the big cattle rails
ers have too little pasture to fatten
beeves or even keep them In normal
condition. He said local cattle men had
asked ten cents q pound Saturday for
cattle on foot and that none were OBJ
tainable even for S1a cents. The rain
Of the past few days helped the pas.
lures more than anything else and
grass probably will be long enough to
keep cattle in stock condition.
For these reasons no break Is ex-
pected in the cattle market even with
out the war to boost prices. Cattle
prices are always higher in war times
while hogs are not effected as much.
Mutton remains normal through all
times and lamb is now the cheapest
meat.
Sales On Decrease.
Butchers and meat dealers are feel.
ing the effects Of the high market
prices in decreased sales and decreas-
ed receipts. The number Of consumers
remains the same but the purchasers
are more cautious and are taking
smaller quantities Of meat to their fam
flies.
Smoked meats felt the advance with
the others, ham going up at wholesale
from 10 to % cents in three or four
days. Bacon is retailing at 80 cents
and the price did not raise to meet the
expectations of butchers nor the in
crease in other meats. Sausage and in
fact every cut of meat Is up.
Garden truck is not selling as cheap
this year as last on public market but
the demand is greater. This indicates
the fact that vegetables are taking the
place of meats. The demand for roast
ing ears slightly exceeds every day
the supply in the city and most vege
tables placed on sale are eagerly pur
chased by the housewives.
Potatoes are selling high. Local deal
ers are trying to keep down prices or
potatoes and eggs. The price of eggs ir
this city has not responded to the
jumps made in the bigger markets.