Arizona republican., 1917-10-19
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 WASHINGTON, Oct. 1S.-Food Ad- ministrator Hoover gave notice to the public tonight that the corner has been turned in high food prices and that most of the essential commodities should continue to show reductions be- tween now and the end of the year. At the same time he pointed out that re tail prices are not going down in ac- cord with wholesale reductions and in- timated that the consumer himself might correct this by bringing proper pressure to bear
 To aid the public in dealing with re- tailers who continue to eXtort war profits the food administration now, is collecting wholesale prices of all staples in seven hundred cities and soon will begin publishing them weekly for com parison with retail figures.
 Without further authority from con gress. MT. Hoover said, the government is pOWerleSS to control retailers, except those doing a business of more than $100000 a year. He did not care to discuss the question of whether con- gress would be asked to extend his au- thorlty, saying he wanted to give the retailers a chance first.
 As an illustration how the price tO the consumer is keeping up, state ment issued by the administrator said beef now is selling in Chicago at l4]2 cents a pound compared with 16 cents in July, while the average retail price of round steak now is 31 cents com pared with 27 cents in July. The mil lers price for first patent flour in jute bags ranges from s10 to s10.70 but the average retail price is $13.77, or, the administration says, from S1.5O to S2 more than the wholesale figure war rants. Sugar should sell from to Sl2 cents a pound in spite of the present temporary shortage as the wholesale figures have not advanced.
 Now that it is all over MT. Hoover said, it may be admitted that in Sep tember the country faced a serious shortage of flour and New York city at one time was down to a thirty siN hours supply Virtually the same con dition prevailed at Philadelphia and other consuming centers.
 The administration statement said: "The food administration considers that. subject to cooperate from the farmers and the retailers, the corner has now been turned in high prices. and that most of the essential commodities should one after another continue to show reductions between now and the end of the year. The food administra tion has no control of either the grower or his organizations, nor of the great majority of retailers. The foundatiCcs have been laid for regulation of the in termediate trades and where these reg ulations have come into force and the trades are cooperating finely. consid- erable results are evideAtn the whole
 The current prices at'which flour is being sold at the mill door in iute bags vary somewhat with the locality and freight charges on wheat, Toledo show | ing the lowest prices at S1O for first patent, and s9.70 for second patent the highest being Buffalo at $10.70 for first patent and S10.70 for second patent; Minneapolis being $10.60 for first pat ent and S10.46 for second patent This l shows a large reduction under August l prices.
 'The regulations on the distribution | of wheat and the manufacture of flour 1 were put into force the middle of Sep 1 tember
 The average retail price on first patents in 796 cities on October l3 was i Sl377 or from s1.50 to S2 per barrel ! higher than is warranted by the price being made by the millers In other I words, the retail price has not wholly responded to the reduction made by
 the millers
 The bean harvest this year'ls eSt- mated by the department of agricui- ture at approximately l,00o,O0O bushels l in excess of last year, or nearly double last year and promises an abundant
 supply The growers association in prominent bean producing states are | holding beans for from 1312 to 'o cents per pound as against an average price realized by the grower last year of s cents per pound. There has been l 100 per cent increase in the Man churian bean crop and it is now esti-
 mated at 100000 tons. Owing to
 shipping shortage practically the only
 outlet is to the United States and
 these beans will flow into the Ameri .
 can market from December on, much
 below the prices now being demanded
 for American beans.
 The corn harvest this year is 500,
 900, 900 to 700, ,O00000 bushels over last year and will be generally available
 about the end of November The price ] Continued on Page Two)
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