The Washington herald., 1915-01-17
JUMP in MEAT
COST FORECAST
Other Foodstufs Will Drop
Soon, Dealers Pre-
dict.
CROPS BEARING ON PRICE
Butchers Will Start Boosting Figures
Within Two Months Blame on
Grain Markets.
CROPS BEARING ON PRICE

soaring Of meat prices within a short
time, but a declining market in other
foodstuffs in the immediate future are
and retail merchants.
The breaking of prices in meats and
their skyward tendencies is set for COM
mencement within the next two months,
while quotations in dairy and poultry
products, vegetables and fish are expect
ed to drop within shorter time.
Produce commission men and grocers
were reserved in their predictions, but
slight reductions are looked for by spring.
Some large dealers, with opportunities
for feeling the markets of the country,
fear heavy expectations will commence
with the harvesting of garden crops and
a decreasing of importa tions, but the ma
jority looked for improvements at the
breaking of winter.
Crops Bearing on Cost.
E. G. YOnker. president of the Sanitary
Grocery Company, said: IF we have big
crops prices will conform: If not l sup
pose it will be the opposite"
THE year as it appears to me, looks
like year of high price of meats" de-
clared D. T. Dutrow, Washington repre-
sentative Of Swift & Co. Making every
allowance for optimism, conditions now
vance within short time. At the pres
ent time meats are cheaper than they
were last year, but within two months
look for the advance to begin.
1T will be a consequence of present
conditions in the grain markets. Farm
ers are now selling their cattle in large
numbers, because they can't afford to
feed them grain at present prices. As a
result, an abundant supply of meat is
nm the market They U1aEiDo a
deal more money from corn at 50 cents 4
bushel than on hogs at 7 cents a pound
or from cattle
When the grain harvests are disposed
of at the rate they are going now and
live stock has diminished. beef and pork
naturally will advance in price"
Sees Good Year Ahead.
T. A MoorS, of Armour & Co., said:
1T looks as IL 1915 will be a good year,
but am not in a position TO predict how
prices and supplies will be"
The weather is an important factor
in butter and egg markets, according
to George w. Oyster, of Oyster Broth
ers. He said:
1T would be unsafe to look too far
into the future and make a prediction
as to conditions in butter, egg, and
cheese markets, but for the immediate
future 1 look for decreasing quota
tiOns in eggs and butter. Cheese is
affected by the war, il being almost
impossible to get the European prod
uct here. But with the weather good,
hens will lay, and at the breaking of
spring, with grass and hay growing,
butter will drop"
c. H. Javins, of Center Market, in
speaking of what the year holds for
fish and sea food prices. said:
Although present prospects for 1915
look favorable, I can say nothing def
mite. as everything in my business is
dependent upon the weather. Should
the weather be bad for any unusual
length of time, preventing vessels
from continuing with their work. peo-
pie would have to resort to frozen
fish. Fresh fish at such times is high.
Canned fish might solve such a
problem as a scarcity in fresh fish,
although canned. sealed and frozen
fish are not as good as the fresh"