The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-03-23
PLENTY TO SPEND.

For one thing the uneNampleu pros
perity has put money into every work.
ingman's pocket, and he is spending
more at the market and at the grocery
store than ever before
The Times made a thorough inquiry
into Washington retail prices, and this
Is what was found:
The housewife who takes her basket
on arm and goes marketing Is apt to
70 home. take a pencil and paper, and
start figuring.
Now II she has a good memory, or
has kept a household account OF the
ago, she is apt to conclude that the cost
OF eating has scared from 10 to 10 per
cent over that of March, 1915.
She will reach this result even IL she
meats, which. everybody knows. has
zone up. But Il Is not so generally
realized that tic price OF other pro-
visions. green groceries,, vegetables,
fruits. and fish. have likewise gone
Wien she attempts comparison OF
prices she may be puzzled. For some
articles, apples and string beans. for ex-
ample, have gone down. WI, But But the gen Zen.
been upward.
Wide Variety of Causes.
When she goes seeking the reasons
from the market wagon economists she
list up like the topics in current
events class.
II she be of philosophical turn of
mind che will conclude that this Is a
pretty small world. after all, and one
can't be quite sure that the things she
reads about under far away date lines
may not soon PC brought home to her In
the family budget.
For example, she may have shlvered
with horror. and expended passing
sympathy for the victims of the ia
maica earthquake, more than eight
months ago, and then forgot all about
1t until she tried to buy bananas this
month, and found that that cataclysm
is costing her about s or 10 cents a
dozen on every dozen Of bananas she
now buys.
Some Of the other passing events that
take money out OF her pocketbook. she
will find. are such widely divergent
happenings as these;
The European war.
The coolest and bleakest winter New
England has experienced In many many
years. ...'
: Frosts in Florida.
Frequent cold snaps along the Ches-
apeake bay and the Potomac.
The German submarine performances.
European war.
The spread Of the gospel of vegetar-
ianism.
And a series of other disconnected
events which are glibly cited by the
commission merchants and retail deal.
ers who must answer questions about
the reasons for higher prices.
Beans for Instance.
Take the war and beans, the navy
beans that form about the most nour-
fishing and most easily preserved diet
for soldiers. Navy beans cost, cents
n quart now. Last year they could be
had for and cents.
BY the bushel these beans have shot
UP about $3.50 since last March. They
now SELL Wholesale. for "a.
Over in Germany the manufacture of
such luxuries as lard and butter has
been prohibited. Hence there have been
heavy shipments of both commodities
abroad.a That Is why the housewife now
pays 40'to 43 cents for the best cream
cry butter that she could get last
March for 35 cents. And she pays from
10 to Is cents for, the same grade of
lard she could get last year for u
cents.
Cheese has taken long jump. Cream
cheese, made in this country, is being
shipped abroad, and now costs from %
to Is cents instead OF 20 cents or less.
Swiss cheese, usually about 30 cents,
now can't be had for less than 40 cents
The fancy imported cheese. Roquefort,
Camembert, Limburger, and others,
can't be had at all, and the limitations
produced here now cost more than the
The rising cost of cream cheese is
attributed to the double cost of large
shipments abroad. and the fact that
milk Is being used in condensed milks to
send abroad. instead of in cheese maxi
ing.
Apples Are Plentiful.
Apples are plentiful. and big red, eat
ing apples can be had for 30 cents a
peck. low price for this season. Let
tuce is Ircarce. The Florida supply has
quit coming, and the Northern supply
Is not yet on the market. What can be
bought sells for to cents a head
Western onions cost 10 cents a quar-
ter peck, and spring onions sell at
two or three punches for cents.
EGGS, little affected by anything ex-
cept the laying habits of the hens,
went to so cents on account OF the ex-
treme cold. have now come down to %
cents and are expected to be cheaper
with warmer weather.
Irish potatoes are extremely scarce.
They now sell for 90 cents a peck, about
s or 6 cents higher than at this time
last year, and sweet potatoes, mostly
from New Jersey just now, can be had
but the price remains about 30 cents a
peck.
Green peas. from Florida at this sea-
son. are scarce and higher than ever
before in March. They retail at 81 a
peck. Strawberries are at 80 cents a
quart. Grape fruit also falls to relieve