Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-19
PRICES At WHICH LARGE GUAM
Titles FOOD PRODUCTS WE'RE
BOUGHT SHOW SITUATION.
UNCLE SAM HAS TO PAY
HIGH PRICE FOR STAPLES
Recent Contracts Let by Government
and State Board Of Control Were at
Practically Same Price Rstailsrs Pay
For Same Produets-Instances That
illustrate Conditions.

..---..-. !. . :. y - ~ a-a
Mr.. Consumer is not the only pur-
chaser Of foodstuffs whose pocketbook
is feeling the drain of the wartime
prices for the food he eats. Uncle
Sam and the state Of Iowa are also
paying correspondingly high prices. AL
tho it will not fatten his pocketbook, it
may ease the consumers feelings to
know that such large purchasers as the
government and state can not get what
thew want even in immense quantities
without paying the market price.
An article in recent issue or the
Interstate Grocer, q trade publication,
and they know prices at which con-
tracts for food products were awarded
by the\state illustrate what prices are
for large purchases bought In open
competition by contract.
Prices Government Paid.
Regarding the purchases made by
Uncle Sam for the navy the Interstate
Grocer says: Those who have sold
the government realize that Uncle Sam
is a very close buyer, yet the prices
he was compelled to pay last week In
New York on staple canned goods are
almost staggering when. 1t is considered
the big block Of stuff that was pur-
chased.
"As an illustration, standard No 3
tomatoes, of which he wanted $4,000
cases, he was forced to pay $1,22h a
dozen while the highest bid was $1.41,
yet there are retail grocers selling
these same tomatoes on a 10 cent
basis. The government also wanted
to buy $4,000 cases Of corn. The low
est bid was s113 and the highest
1928. Green lima beans were offered
at $1.07 on the lowest basis, while the
highest did was $1.10 for $4,000 cases.
The government also wanted $4,000
cases of cut refugee No. string beans,
but only 2,709 cases were offered, the
lowest bid being 31.13 and the highest
31.22."
Prices 70 State Also High.
The purchasing agent Of the state
board Of control, who has just re-
Gently been letting contracts for
years supply Of food products for all
the state institutions found prices just
as correspondingly high as did Uncle
Sam.
Just few days ago the state let the
contract for 10000 pounds of Japan
rice, for which it had to pay ~ cents
q pound. At the same time 1t let the
contract for 10000 bushels Of potatoes,
for which 1t paid from l1.23 to 1925 a
bushel, delivered to the various state
institutions. A few weeks earlier 1t
bought $4,000 pounds Of dried peaches
for which the lowest bid was 6k cents
q pound. Since this purchase the price
has gone to cents a pound.
! Potatoes have been and are now be-
ing offered locally for from $1.40 to
$3.50 in from single to FIVE bushel lots
The consumer will find satisfaction In
the fact that the price to him, quantity
considered, is not so much higher, after
all, than the state is paying.
The Retailers Position.
Regarding the situation in which the
retail grocer finds himself In the face
of a continually rising market the In
terstate Grocer says:
THE moral of this illustration is
the fact that the United States govern
ment is paying practically the retail
price for most of these items for huge
quantities, yet the retail grocer is Offer
ing single cans on that basis
THE outlook for the grocer who does
not use business principles in the con-
duet of his store in the next three or
four months is gloomy and he is GER
tain to feel the effect Of the stringency
that will be created. Grocers will be
compelled to use more money In their
business because of the higher costs
and with q curtailment Of profits the
pinch will be all the more pronounced
unless they add to their prices in order
to take care of this higher. cost and de-
crease in profits. The situation is
grave and the time to act is now If
trouble is to be avoided in the flu
ture."