The Washburn leader., 1916-12-01
Fight on to Lower
the Cost Of Food
Too Much 10 Exported and Means o.
Keeping Produce at Home, 10
Started
NO REASON FOR INCREASE

Minnesota Prices Given on Butter,
Eggs, Meat, ETC., Compare Them
With Home Prices
A statewide protest against pre-
vailing high prices for foodstuffs is
under way with st. Paul as it's center.
Congressman in every district Of
Minnesota are likely to receive re-
quests that they support a measure,
when Congress meets in December,
providing for food embargo which
will keep production on this side of
the Atlantic.
C. f. Trettin, secretary of the st.
Paul Retail Grocers' association, will
send letter today to George M.
Peterson, state senator of Duluth,
and secretary of the Minnesota Re-
tail Grocers' association, informing
him of the embargo, resolution by
the St. Paul grocers, and urging the
state organization to further the
movement in every congressional
district.
The embargo plan It is pointed out,
would relieve situations such as have
arisen in the butter supply, which
commodity today touched 42h to 43
cents on the New York wholesale
market, breaking all records. Ex-
pert's figures show that for 1914 the
United States imported 100000
pounds of butter. In 1915. with the
war under way, 100000 pounds was
exported. In 1916, with November
and December not included, $4,000,
900 pounds has been exported.
Creamery. butter was selling at Re.
tail IN st. Paul today at 40 to AZ
cents a pound, a level practically
stationary through the week.
Colonel r. A. Wilkinson, of Lake
Elmo, president of the Minnesota
union, American Society of Equity,
declared today that farmers are be-
ing paid Is to 30 cents dozen for
eggs by the merchants in towns out
side of the Twin Cities. The supply
however is frequently consumed at
home, never going on a foreign mar
ket. Eggs in st. Paul today are cost
ing the consumer 43 to so cents a
dozen.
Wholesale figures on the New
York market show that the best fresh
eggs have remained at 48 to so cents
for a week, but that storage eggs
have slumped 1 to IL cents. Re-
frigerator specials, the best storage
eggs, are about 81 cents.
Prices of beefsteak, sirloin, porter
house and round, show declining
tendency for the prices in st. Paul
today are IL 1-2 to Is cents at sever
al downtown markets. These levels
are said to be the bottom, however.
Sausage shows an advance of at
least cents since ten days ago.
There is no forecast as to the sup:
ply of turkeys for Thanksgiving,
but some markets report no sales of
the stuff they now have. Apparent
ly there will be sufficient quantity
Of the birds.
Householders have reached the
stage Of refusing to pay too high
prices II substitution Of anything else
is possible, so it is unlikely turkeys
will be exorbitant. They sold today
at about 30 cents pound; spring
chickens, 20 cents; hens 18 cents;
ducks, 20 cents, and geese 1S cents.
Members of the Ramsey county
grand jury will check the cost Of
items in their Thanksgiving dinners
I'm their general probe of the high
sprices Of foodstuffs.
3FA individuals and committees today
began an investigation of the situa-
tion, paying especial attention to
milk, coal and eggs. The jury is to
meet again next Friday to take for
NAL action. Witnesses win be sum-
moned and the inquiry will be start
ed from the producers end, It was
reported authoritatively today.
.'If any one can give any infotma-
tion to me or to the grand jury. It
will be greatly appreciated said
County Attorney R. D. o'Brien.
s89 'Since effort 70 \ probe the high
prices thoroughly is being made. but
5Sit fs = very difficult matter to get at.
and any aid viii be thankfully receiy'
1 ed. 2 4 Il. /. y. s5f .;,5
During their consideration OF the
matter yesterday grand jurors com
mented upon the fact that It IL much
more expensive now. even! to die, ~
well as to live. and that Il even costs