The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-05-16
FOOD PRICES
ARE SOARING
IN HOLLAND

Chief Cause of Rush of Dutch
Producers to lake Advan-
tage of War dItions-
Correspondence OF Associated Press.3
THE HAGTE, May l6.-Holland IL
now suffering from high food prices.
the result Of various causes, CHEZ OF
which was the rush OF Dutch produc-
ers at the beginning OF the war TO;
take advantage Of the increased de-
mand from abroad and the conse-
quently augmented rates offered by
foreign buyers.
Retail prices OF number OF arEc1es
of consumption have arisen in ever
increasing ratio ever since the out
break of hostiIities. Statistics cover
ing twentySeven articles have been
compiled and these show that, 1fsur
ing the average cost at 100 during
the last twenty years, the prices have
now risen by thirty per cent Prices.
however. had started going up some
time before the war On fact. since
1907 they have been rising steadily
| two or three points year until July
1914. when they stood a, 113. From
August 10 December last year they
Jumped suddenly to 1911. in January
this year they mounted TO 1923, in Feb
ruary to 1870 and they are still going.
up.
Meat Away Up.
Meat. especially pork, has gone up
considerably in price. Part OF this
increase is due to the rise in fodder.
! hay and oilcake, but much OF il has
been brought about by Inc passing
over the frontier into Germany of live
animals. whose further export, how
T. ga ais
has been exported in large quantities..
year alone about $4,000. pounds of
pork and Great Britain 100000
pounds from Holland. The price OF
first quality beef. live weight. whole
sale. has gone up since August last
from an average OF is cents TO is
cents a pound. while the retail price
has increased from % 10 &c cents a
pound. Pork, live weight, wholesale.
which cost IN August S 1-2 cents
pound. while the retail butchers price
has risen in the same time from an
average of about 19 cents TO about IS
cents pound
Many Potatoes Crown.
Potatoes form one of the products
OF which Holland always possesses
a surplus, and the question OF their
profitable export is an important con
sideration. A large part OF the cult
1iva1ed land in Holland is planted
! with them, the total extent being
about 100000 acres. most of 1t in the
four northern provinces. The guam
tity of the crop produced annually Is
about 100000 tons, valued, at about
( SIS .00e: COO About I2o, 900 tons OF
this quantity is ground into potato
flour. for which since the war began.
there has been an enormous demand
from Germany. There was also a
greater demand for potatoes in Hol-
land itself owing to the presence of
so many Belgian refugees and also
to the use OF potatoes for cate feed
| instead OF oilcake. which had become
high in price.
| A Mistake.
| At one time there was danger of
| a shortage of potatoes in this coun-
! try in consequence of=the increased
exports and the minister OF aSricul-
ture for time prohibited their eS-
! port as a precautionary measure IN
! order TO keep sufficient of them IA
stock for emergencies. Several OF the
larger cities bought up stocks at the
same time, but the municipalities are
ROW finding they made a mistake, for
/ the potatoes are Still on their hands
and some OF them are rottinS- The
exports in the first seven months OF
the war reached a total of 2.9. 900 tons
or only $1,000 tens less than in the
| entire year of 1913. while the export
! OF potato -four amounted from No
veuber 1914 till March 1915 TO about
| IS 600 tons or nearly $4,000 tons IN
| excess OF the export in the same per-
tiod OF I91S-1914. The high prices
Epaid by Germany made the local price
! mount and the government found 1T
self compelled 10 fix maximum price
| for retail selling. as the working
classes had begun TO feel the pinch.
Truck Expensive. Too.
cabbages and other green yege-
| tables have also become more expen-
sive since Germany has been calling
for more and more imports OF trucl0
garden produce The truck sardners
are naturally making goodiprotitS and
.ahe Dutch consumers find themselves
I conpei1ed TO pay more for their veg
!! etabies. The truck farmers. however.
are making strong opposition 10 a pro-
lposal toSreeulate or prohibit exports
fof. these products, which they declare
would ruin their business. They ar
que that the sale by them of their pro-
fduce 10 foreigners brings money into
Holland which otherw<se would not
reach this country and which helps
The people to- tide over the hard
! times brought about by the war.
]NIAanfime the Dutch housewife as com
I:peIIed to pay more for her food and
sees no benefit coming to her from
the increased exports.