Bisbee daily review., 1917-12-27
COMMERCIAL CLUB
INVESTIGATES The
FOOD SITUATION
Figures Prepared By Warren
District Commercial Club
Discloses That Current
Prices Are Lower Than
Before.

The frequent reference in the edit
ORAL columns Of the Bisbee Review l.
Food Administrator HOover's failure
o respond to the call induced the
Warren Dis.ric Commercial club TO
make an Investigation locally as 10
whether or not the frequent pasins
vas productive o. any results. From
reliable sources the following inform
elton was secured BY the secretary.
The figures are voucher FOR and CON
sumers can verify by referring TO
their past and current bills.
Most Of the leading food commodi-
ties have actually declined in price
since August 10th. the date Of the
presidents proclamation.
Sugar declined g.. g.. 10 per cent
Potatoes o.. IL per cent
Flour e. - 81. .1Shs per cent
Pink Beans q. e.. o.. .1sis per cent
Canned Milk o.. o.. &c.. : per cent
Pink SSlnon. canned ..37is per cent
Corn Meal 50. O.. Sc. ~ per cent
Standard Canned Corn lsls per cent
Standard Canned Tom
atoes ..lsie per cent
standard Canned Peas. Icy per cent
COttoleRe 5is per cent
Comparison was made between the
prices existing August 10th. and those
being quoted today by local grocers.
Local dealers admit that ham. bacon.
butter and eggs have advanced but
the items listed above represent 4
greater percentage Of the average
family's purchases. Il was. Of course.
impossible TO list all food stuffs. and
only the heavy staples were checked
with the above result.
The secretary's inquiry elected
further Information. The restrictions
placed on psckers. Gamers. dealers.
etc. have not been made fully oper.
alive. Dealers are restricted To
profit based on actual cost regardless
of market value. but in most cases.
particularly in the case of the slower
moving goods. canned goods. etc.
their costs have been hish by reasonl
Of the purchase made prior to the
operation Of the rules tsscribed BY
the food administrator. As fast as
new goods come in, dealers will re-
wise their selling prices 20 conform to
new costs. All OF the items listed
above show the effect OF the new rub
Ing.
As 10 the items that have not de
clined. ii was found that local deal
ers were asking only fair profit
based on their cost. Eggs, for eS-
ample. command a high price az Ship
ping point. some o. the principal
producing eenters Of Kansas have re
Gently experienced zero weather.
Formers who bring their esss and
other produce 70 market naturally
demand premium. In this connec- I
ton i, is well COR consumers 10 know
that no restriction is placed on the
farmer that forces him 10 sell his
eSss- potatoes. etc. at fixed price.
- that prevents him from storing fer
eale at a later date.
The question uQnermOSt in the
minds Of many people is. what does
Mr.. Herbert Hoover know about
susar. esgs. canned goods and gro
series in general The club also sat
isfiei itself on this question. Mr..
Hoover in his capacity as food sd-
WAS selected for his iii. !
ness FOR the position by reason Of his
raSt record IS a keen executive and I
his ability 10 set results in any IN
iertsSing Of his. Mr.. Hoover has as
us assistants some Of the biggeSt
men in the country in their respective
Ines. For instance. on his staff are I
Mr.. TheO =. WhitemsrSh. president
q the National Wholesale grocers.
'n3 also president OF Frances A. Liz
ritt & Co. Geo. E Lichty. former
president OF the National Wholesale
-rOcers and president OF Smith. Lich-
~ Fn-an. Wholesale Grocers. Geo. I