The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-09-23
FOOD PRICES GOING UP
Most Notable Rise in Bread-Weather
May Alter FIGURES.

Boston, Sept 2S.-Prices on practi-
cally all articles OF food are in the
process of revision, and in most in
stances it will be an upward revision
The upward tendency started many
months ago, touching different com.
modities at different times, and is
certain Ito continue. Bread prices
have been discussed all over the coun-
try for several weeks, because flour
has gone up until the bakers are sun-
able to digest the advance. Notices
were sent out by Boston bakers to the
effect that they must charge more Ton
their product today. Some Of them
have introduced an inverted advance
in the reduction Of the loaf, and others
Will charge six cents instead OF the
customary five cents for a loaf
While an increase in the price OF
bread may be attracting more atten-
ton than advances on other food arti-
cles it is a less important item in the
bill OF fare for the average household,
and the really important revision will
come in the near future. Much will
depend upon the date and the severity
OF the next frost. Large dealers to
New England are watching weather
conditions this month with intense in
terest, as upon them depends the
vegetable crop upon which, in turn,
depends the canned goods output OF
the season. Grocery stores that issue
| price lists periodically have not yet
decided upon the prices to be listed in
their next issue. Present quotations
on corn, for instance, are based on \
prospective so per cent crop in Maine,
but If the frost holds off long enough
| the Maine crop may be 70 per cent Of
normal. Tomatoes also are slow in
| ripening, but they are still growing
An early frost would check ripening
with an unavoidable increase on can
| ned tomatoes for the winter, while a
| prolonged warm season would tend to-
ward lower prices for canned toma-
| toes. The same reasoning applies to
| string beans, and few other yege-
| tables.
New bread prices will attract atten-
| tion when they are announced, but a
canvass of the field shows that, while
higher prices are inevitable and APP
pear to be justified, they will not go
up everywhere at once. Some large
concerns have contracted for bread
| for q long period ahead and will be
| able to continue to sell at the old
/ prices far into the fall For the same
reason certain canned goods are sell
ing at the old figures, yielding the
regular percentage of profit on the
wholesale cost, but when the old
stock is gone and the trade turns to
the new crop it will be at substan-
tial increase unless fall weather layors
ripening and canning.
The situation will compel the house
keeper to consult the size of her
pocketbook as we'll as her taste in or
dering groceries, and it viii put to
a test her skill at cooking so as to
avail herself OF the whole list Of food
products instead of combining her
choice to the cream of the market
For the exercise Of such choice in the
interest of economy there may be less
opportunity than in the past, owing
to the advance on the less expensive
commodities, such as beans. Baked
beans have been regarded as highly
nutritious and as very cheap at the
prices quoted in the past, and they
have been a regular Saturday course
in many New England homes. Now
they have gone up in price to an al
most prohibitive figure, but they are
going out of use as. a readymade arti
Gle at the bakeries. Orders are taker
on Friday for the Saturday baked
beans, and nothing is kept in stocl
for any transient trade. Michigan
bean growers. upon whom the BostoI
market has to depend largely for It's
supply. estimate their own crop thii
year at only 80 per cent. the shippers
and elevator people in Michigan allow
ing that It may be 20 per cent. ii there
Is favorable weather for two week!
more.
One good habit with which the New
England housekeeper is credited Il
that she hakes her own bread buyin'
bread from the baker only occasional
w. and TO her the cent advance on
loaf will mean TAR less than the ad