Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-24
Housekeepers in Broad
and Girard Avenue
Neighborhood Strong
Supporters of the
"Chain Store"
Dealers Say They Are
Getting Only a Small
Margin of Profit-War
and Spectators Are
Blamed

vyVHE residential district. oentering upon
Il Broad street and Grard avenue. Is
varied IN its character. as much so. per
hama a. any in Philadelphia The grocers
Who supply this great center Of population
with It's daily food are equally charac-
teristic, and their views upon the situa-
ZION which confronts the Philadelphia house.
vife in her efforts 90 keep the cost OF her
table within her income, may be taken as
those OF men who are In acute touch with
sslsting conditions in that neighborhood.
Careful canvass by the EVENING LEDoBR
m the territory east Of Board street and
northward from Spring Garden street re-
veals the passing Of many old-time grocers.
Cirard avenue itself exemplifies the fact
that the housekeeper In its vicinity Is n
strong supporter of the 'chain store" and
iishments In her efforts to conduct her
table economically. There are exceptions
ft is true, but they are Few and far be-
tween"
For the benefit Of fits women readers who
have sought from tho EVENING LEDGER the
reason for the prevailing high prices. their
causes and possible remedies. inquiry
was made at the establishment of Robert
Raiston q Sons, at Thirteenth street and
Girard avenue. where since 1889 the .busI-
ness has grown in pace with the progress
and wants Of residents.
SHORTA0a IN STAPLES
Much of the Raisf1h custom occupies the
North Broad street section. and is made up
Of a community able and willing to pay
n purchases CN the other hand, the firm
deals in many articles that are within the
reach of the humble pocketbook Though
10th TO place the responsibility for the pres
snt skyward tendency In price, a repre-
sentative OF the firm manifested no hest
fancy in admitting that there was a short.
age in many staple goods that was uncom-
Portable to his firm. and that even with n
small margin of profit several articles were
rapidly passing beyond the means Of per-
sons who hitherto had used them.
Never in twenty years have prices been
as high as they are today" he said. 'I
believe this winter they are going higher
than, ever Many things too, are entirely
out Of the market. or II we can get. them
st all II is at awful prices. don't be-
heve the cost Of groceries has been higher
than It Is today in the fifty-four years we
have been In business / don't know why
Il Isl we simply can't get them. Our Gus
toners would be willing 70 pay the higher
prices II we could accommodate them, but
the dealers tell us the articles we want are
not coming into the market Shortage In
crops. they tell us. or the war II we knew
what the actual cause was. we might be
able to remedy II. but we only know what
they tell us
TOMATOES AT TOP NOTCH
Take tomatoes as an instance. Gallon
tomatoes. that were at s2.50 dozen. are
$3.50 today. String beans that sell at ter
cents a can have jumped to fifteen cents
and now are almost impossible TO get ever
ct that figure. There are no cheap peas
In the market We used to pay ffty-fivs
or sixty cents dozen year ago for q
grade that has doubled In price In fact
there Is nothing in the market under S1.1C
q dozen II is the same with corn.
I'VE paid S9.40 a barrel for -four on oul
last purchase and must pay more for oui
next lot. Strictly fresh eggs. twenty-foul
hours old, are selling at sixty-eight cent
dozen. We pay fifty-nine cents in craft
lots or thirty dozen; pay thirty-one cent
q crate TO get them here and one cent I
dozen for the carton. total of sixty-on'
certs We guarantee these eggs so II on
is cracked or goes bad we must replace II
DO there goes our profit on the whole dozen
Pea beans. the variety most general!
used, were bringing S1.75 year ago. Tn
last we bought we're $3.50. Cheese that wa
thirteen or fourteen cents a pound is nov
twenty-five to twenty-four cents, Will
Swiss cheese that before the war wa
quoted at twenty-four cents, can't be ha'
under ffty-two cents. Limburger ma
jumped from twenty-four cents pound Z
thirty. II II wasn't for our fancy trad
that is willing TO pay no matter now IN