The Washington times., 1917-04-26
FINDS HIGH FOOD
COST NOT JUSTIFIED
District investigating Commit
tee Recommends Better
F- Marketing.
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articles had dropped ~ the foil. wing
prices: Potatoes, per barrel, $3.50,
onions, per 100 pounds. $11; eggs, per
dozen, 80 cents.
There had, Of course, been no In
crease in the total potato and onion
supply of the country between these
dates. 1t Is also a fact which should
be considered that the shipments 10
the belligerent countries of theso
commodities have not affected pticts'
because there have been practically
no shipments OF eithSr OF theni'
There was no addition to the Amer"
can stock and no reduction III the
American demand. yet prices drop
ped"
Necessity for the strictest economy
among the poorer classes, II is stated
was shown by the investigation
Poor Hardest Hit.
Interesting figures were obtained
from the proprietors Of some OF the
smaller stores. whose business Is
with the poorer people" says the
report.
''They show clearly that the poor
have been compelled to resort TO the
strictest economy in order to provloe
food, on account OF hig: prices. Thelr
purchsses are of the eheapes'
possible articles, and in smaller quan-
titles than heretofore. The sale OF
ordinary cuts OF meat in this class
of stores seems to have been dis
continued, and the meat now pur-
chased consists OF hog ltvers, hog
Kidneys, neck bones, hog faces, etc.
The fact that the people OF the
community generally are adopting
more frugal methods and are pre-
pairing and using food with greater
economy than heretofore Is shown oy
the very considerable falling on IN
the amount of garbage collected In
this city during recent months.
An examination Of local sold stor-
age warehouses, the committee
states. showed that as compared with
previous years stocks in storage were
low, Retail dealers told of difficulty
in procuring certain kinds OF food at
urices that would permit them to
sell within the reach of their Gus
toners, but II was the Uniform testi-
mony that any foodstuffs ordinarily
on the market at this time of year
could be obtained by paying the
price demanded
Failure In Transportation.
There seems to your committee"
SAYS the report, ito have been an un-
mistakable failure in transportation IA
ciIities for this market during recent
months, which has tended to keep the
local food supply below normal at
times The following statement Of de-
layed deliveries of foodstuffs which
have come to the knowledge Of your
committee will illustrate the point:
Car Of Quaker Oats left Battle Creek.
Mich, on January "a, arrived in Wash
ington March I.
Gar Of sugar left New York city on
February 2 arrived at Washington on
February IL
car Of sugar left New York on Feb
ruary Is, arrived in Washington Feb
ruary "a
Car Of cornmeaI left Indianapolis.
Ind. on February 6, arrived in Wash
ington on March =
Two hundred cases OF salad dressing
left Bradford. Mass, on February Is.
arrived in Washington on March Z.
Two hundred cases OF condensed
milk left Oconomowoc, Wis, on jan
uary Is. arrived in Washington on
March Z.
Two hundred cases OF. pancake -four
left indianapolis. Ind. on February II.
arrived in Washington on March 6.
Tt Is manifest that during the period
which elapsed between the time when
these shipments should have arrived
and their arrival. these several consign-
ments Of goods were abnorInally with
held from the District OF Columbia
market, and the food supply abnormally
depleted What the total amount Of the
depletion caused by all such delayed
shipments was your committee was un-
able to determine"
Prices and Wages.
The committee states that 1t has
not gone into the question OF the in
f1ux of gold into this country, result
ing in an increase in currency and de-
crease in the purchasing value OF a
dollar, and therefore IL unable to say
70 what extent this accounts for high
prices.
But" says the report. "prices and
wages do not correspond uniformly
and with the advance in the prices OF
foodstuffs. wages and salaries in the
District OF Columbia have not ad-
vanced proportionately, and as q re-
suit q given wage will not purchase
the food supply IT would purchase a
few years ago. The food supply OF
the HalaTlo0 CldsB Is we DollcNe, from
this cause alone, Of poorer quality and
less abundant than It was a short
time ago.
'Tn Industrial cities such as Pitts
burgh. Philadelphia. and Detroit. we
believe wages have advanced more
nearly. in proportion to the cost OF
foods than have salaries in tho Dis
trict OF Columbia, and as a Vesult this
city feels more Acutsly the present
high prices OF foods"
Forcing Prices Higher.
Increase in tho value of farm lands,
machinery. labor. and the cost OF dis.
tribution, the report says. have com.
bined 20 make higher prices.
Two factors that tend 20 increase
the cost OF foOdstuffE 20 thu consumer,
with absolutely no corresponding
benent TO the consumer. are the ex.
penses to which the retailer 10 put
because OF tr~ unnecessary demands
for the delivery Of goods. and the
loss 10 which the retailer is sub.
jected through bad credit accounts.
From what has been said IL IL
clear that prices of foodstuns do not
in themselves indicate whether there
is or is not Hn actual shortage in 'he
supply The only means Dy which