The Washington times., 1916-11-30
PRICES THERE AND HERE

PRICES THERE AND HERE
A few days ago attention was
called In these columns to the fact
that officials in both England and
Germany, reporting Of the advance
In commodity prices, indicated that
increases In foodstuffs had been
about the same as here; rather less,
apparently. Those two countries
have been at war for twos years.
Neither was presumed before the
war to be able to produce its entire
food supply, while the United States
normally turns out considerable
surplus. .s \
Now comes testimony from
France. Charles Edward Russell, in
an article In the Philadelphia
Ledger, gives q summary Of his OBJ
servations there. He has been on
the other side Of the water much of
the time since the war started, and
finds that meats are actually selling
eheaper in France than here. He
writes:
Meat prices have not risen much
are up. n little. but not nearly so
much as you would naturally cx-
pect We have known meat prices
TO climb more In two years OF peace
risen In two years OF war In France.
] was very much taken with this
most singular fact when ! was In
Frenoe last summer and sought the
France. all things considered. In
very good restaurants In Paris you
can get tenderloin steak for Is cents.
a portion Of roast chicken costs
II Is cents a portion; a mutton chop
IN Is cents and two lamb chops cost
10 cents. These prices have under
gone virtually no change In three
est war In history has burst upon
France. The fact 10 certainly
marvellous. but there are the price
lists: no one may dispute H.
Mr.. Russell credits the cheapnsss
Of meat in France TO the fact that
the government, facing the necessi-
ties imposed by war, has taken over
the control Of the meat business. II
has provided government slaughter
Ing establishments in which all meat
animals are killed. The carcasses
are turned over to the retailer, and
he Is permitted to sell II only at
prices fixed by the government.
Perhaps the last statement has q
good deal more to do with price
than the first. Govern
nent slaughtering would be cheaper
han private. only in case II was
cheaper; and there is room to doubt
Z government could do II for less
han the great private establish
nents Of this country do. But when
{ goes to the next Stephen we
stumble on something about which
here can be no question. IL the
government can fix prices. and en-
orce them, II can make things
heaper-for a time at least. Ameri-
ans would be Mortified ut the pro-
'osai's> application here. II would
'e quite beyond our conceptions Of
roper government function. But
% II would have been IN France, a
title while ago. Now France ac-
epts II rs quite a matter Of course.
Such experiences are being re-
'orted nowadays from all over the
World. The Australian government,
o long as the season before the
var started, bought up most of that
ountry's wheat crop. The follow
ng year it did the same; and again
his present year. Now II has big
tore Of wheat, which IL is feeding
ut to the markets of the allied ma
ions as fast as shipping can be Sc
ured. Australia has gone deeply G
nto the control and even actual
,aking Of prices by government.
proceeding is more
amiliar. II is at least worth while
Or Americans, in a time when mil r
ons are unable to calculate how in
ONE is to meet necessities, to n
themselves with such ex-
mples of radical administrative >,
lethods.