Evening star., 1917-04-26
NO JUST GROUND
FOR HIGH PRICES
OF FOOD FOUND
Continued from Flrst.Page.)

we believe wages have advanced more
nearly in proportion to the cost or
foods than have salaries In the District
of Columbia. and. as result, this city
feels more acutely the present high
prices of foods
The committee takes the position that
reports published about the time IT be-
gan its work were misleading in indi-
eating serious food shortage here In
this connection it says:
IAN examination of local cold storage
warehouses showed that, as compared
with previous years. stocks In storage
were low. Retail dealers testified to
difficulty in procuring certain kinds of
goods at prices that would permit them
to sell within the reach of their GUS
toners. but it was the uniform testt-
mony that any foodstuffs ordinarily
on the market at this time of year
could he obtained by paying the price
demanded. The supply of most staple
food products in Washington stores and
markets was found 70 be about normal.
Some meat was found to be in storage
here for shipment, but the supply for
local consumption was we'll up to the
usual amount. and perhaps a little in
excess of normal. Sugar and potatoes
were below normal. and there We're not
as many eggs in storage is usual at
this time of year. There was no evi-
dence. however. of inability to get
sufficient quantity of either of these
commodities to supply current de-
masds.
frlceS demanded 1or many staple
food products here. as well as in other
cities of the country, were unusually
high.
Strictest Economy Necessary.
Interesting figures were obtained
from the proprietors at some of the
smaller stores. whose business is with
tho poorer people. They show clearly
cd to
resort to the strictest economy in or
prices. Their purchases are of the
cheapest possible articles and in
smaller quantities than heretofore
The sale of ordinary cuts of meat in
this class of stores seems to have
been discontinued and the meat now
purchased consists of hog livers. hog
kidneys, neck bones. hog faces, etc,
The fact that the people of the
community generally are adopting more
frugal methods and are preparing and
using food with greater economy than
heretofore is shown by the very con-
siderable falling off in the amount of
garbage collected in this city during
recent months
The report throws considerable light
on the influence of the market of de-
fective transportation facilities. 1t
is the committees opinion that there
was unmiStakable failure in trans
portation facilities for this market dur
ing recent months, which has tended to
keep the food supply below normal at
times. without attempting to state the
location or nature of the defective
transportation facilities. the committee
incorporates in its report the following
instances of delayed deliveries
Car of Quaker oats left Battle Creek,
Mich, January "A, arrived in Washing
ton March =
Car of sugar left New York city Feb
ruary >. arrived in Washington Feb
ruary H.
Car of sugar left New York city Feb
ruary IS. arrived in Washington Feb
ruary "a.
Car of cornmeal left indianapolis.
Ind, February 6. arrived in Washing
ton March ..
Two hundred cases of salad dressing
left Bradford. Mass, February Is, ar
rived in Washington March I.
Two hundred cases of condensed milk
left Oconomowoc, Wis, February 16,
arrived in Washington March Z.
Two hundred cases of pancake flour
left Indianapolis, Ind, February II, ar
rived in Washington March g.
1T is manifest that during the
period which elapsed between the time
when th>se shipments should have ar
rived and their arrival these several
consignments of goods were abnormal
ly withheld from the District of Co
1umbia market and the food supply
abnormally depleted. What the total
amount of the depletion caused by all
such delayed shipments was your COM
roittaA WAS unable TO determine"