Daily Kennebec journal., 1917-10-19

wear and will be generally available
about the end of November. The price
Of corn rose to $3.50 per bushel in
July and now stands at s190 per BUSH
ell in Chicago. New corn is quoted in
Chicago at s1.13 per bushel for De-
ccmber and indicates nearly a 40 per
ceI.t decrease in the price Of corn
meal when the new corn is generally
available.
Cheaper Beet and Pork
The very large corn supplies from
the new harvest together with the
larger supplies of barley. velvet beans,
cotton seed. peanut and soya beans
all promise much cheaper cattle hog
and poultry feed. and will enable the
production Of beef, pork. poultry and
dairy products at much lower levels
of cost to the farmer than today, and
his earnings can be maintained with
lower prices of products. The pack
ing. cold storage and other manufac-
turing and wholesale distributors in
these trades are in course of re-or-
ganization.
BEEF already shows some tendency
toward reduction in wholesale prices,
but these have not been so far re-
taller. The price of beef at the pack
erS' door is IA II cents per pound as
compared with 16 cents in the month
of July. While the average retail prices
Of round steak in 100 cities is 81 cents
per pound against ~ cents per pound
in JULY. thus showing that retail prices
have decreased
Potato Harvest Very Large
We have potato harvest of 90
per cent. in excess of the crop of last
year. The price at the loading point
varies from $3.50 to $3.50 per hundred
pounds, depending on the section
where grown and the cost of getting
them to market. The price. which is
somewhat higher than at this period
last wear. is due to tendency on the
part OF the producer to hold the no.
tatoes for higher prices than last wear.
despite the greatly increased crop and
to the temporary inability of the rail-
roads to furnish equipment sufficient
to move from many sections the oman
tlty available a this time. The aver
age price of potatoes delivered in the
markets has closely followed the price
winch the producer has received plus
The price of distribution to the mar
ket
The larger supply of cars and the
large harvest warrant lower nr;ces
later in .he fall
sugar Advances Not Warranted
Beet sugar prices are beine CON
trolled by the manufacturers upo, a
oasis that should reach the rata;ler
from to 1-2 cents per pound de-
pending upon the locality. Sugar TO
confectioners from beet factories is
| now being restricted and a temnorarv
shortage in the northea stern states
| gives no warrant for the advances bv
retailers to over nine cents per mound
TOT 'hls allows fair margin upon the
prices paid by them for cane sucar
tneS are now selling. In any event. the
rise in retail prices of sugar durino
ne iaS' three DAYS in the eastern
states is solely due to the advance
iiient OF these prices by retail dealers
IN the face OF short supply. and does
not bear any relation to the prices at
"hlch these sugars have been pur-
chased
(. The price of new Cuban. Porto Ri
can and Hawaiian harvest in Decem
per VIII maintain the beet level as soon
as II is available. The beet level IS ono
ana three quarters below August
prices and without the concerted ac
ton OF beet manufacturers and tho re :
nners or can sugar prices would now
be up to Il cents owing to the short
supplies during the next few weeks
In order to provide equally good
substitute for lard and cooking fats
the food administration is arranging
for the import of larger suppIies oe
cocoanut. palms. nut and sova hean
oils. This should also affect the nrices
of soap
Since the food administration came
into existence on Aug 10 great deal
of exertion has been required to rem
edy food situation growing out of the
over-eXpOrt and short supplies OF the
1916 harvest
there were no reserve stocks in
practically all of the main staples with
which TO enter the new harvest wear.
and. in fact, in some Of the principal
staples, the exports had proceeded 10
| such lengths that there was an ahso-
| lutte under-supply OF our own necessi-
| ties during the past two months
| On TOP OF this situation various ia ac,ors
nave interfered with the earlier arriyal /
OF the new harvest. The farmer. in pre
pa ring for 30 per cent. increase of win
ter wheat acreage In the face of the
| shortage in agricultural labor, has pre-
vented the free marketing Of many COM
modities. and in addition to these difi-
culties there xsts throughout the coun-
try. owing to the large coal and NUM-
tions shipments. a considerable car short
age.
Periodic Shortage
Resulting from these causes. there
have been periodic shortage in first one
commodity after another, in one locality
in the United States after another. and
large part Of the energies Of the food
administration has been absorbed In Sc
curing a distribution and redistribution
| OF existing supplies in such manner
as to keep the country generally sup
piled with foodstuffs. and but for the
cooperation Of the railways In meeting
| frst one emergency situation after an
| other we should have local famines in one
commodity after another In a great manv
sections
Furthermore. the authority of the
| food adrnipi St tiop doas not avta,a ~...-