The Mena weekly star., 1917-10-25
HIGH FOOD PRICES
 ARE NOT JUSTIFIED
Retailers Have Not Conformed to Wholesale Reductions, Says Hoov- er-Cites Many ENamples--Is a
 Matter of Public Sentiment.

Washington, Oct. l9.-Food Ad- mlnistrator Hoover gave notice to the public last night that the cor her has been turned" in high food prices and that most of the essen tlal commodities should continue to show reductions between now and the end of the year. However. he sald that retail prices are not going down in accord with wholesale de- ductions and intimated that the con- sumer might correct this by bring ing pressure to bear.
 To aid the public in dealing with the retailers who continue to extort war profits the food administration now is collecting wholesale prices of all staples in 700 cities and soon will begin publishing them weekly for comparison with the retail figures.
 Without further authority from Congress, Mr. Hoover said, the gov ernment is powerless to control re- tailers except those doing busi- ness of more than Si00,000 a year. He did not care to discuss the ques- tion of whether Congress would be asked to extend his authority He said he wanted to give the retailers chance first.
 Instances of EXtOrtion.
 As an illustration of how the price to the consumer is keeping up, statement issued by the admins trator said beef now is selling in Chicago at ii1a cents a pound, com pared with i6 cents in July. while the average retail price of round steak is 3i cents. compared with 2 cents in July The miller's price for first patent flour in jute bags ranged from Si0 to Sl070, but the average retail price is Sl3.71. or, the admin istrator says, from Sl50 to S2 more than the wholesale figure warrants. Sugar should sell from 8 to 812 cents a pound, in spite of the present tenn porary shortage, as the wholesale figure is not advanced.
 The administrators statement in part, follows:
 The food administration consid- CTS that. subject to cooperation from the farmers and retailers, the corner has been turned in high prices and that most of the essen tial commodities should, one after another. continue to show reduc- lions between now and the first of the year.
 Flour Prices Vary.
 The current prices at which flour is being sold at the mill door in jute bags vary somewhat with the local ity and freight charges on wheat, Toledo showing the lowest prices at Si0 for first patent and S9.70 for sec ond patent, the highest being Buffalo at St0.70 for first patent and $i0.70 for second patent: Minneapolis be- ing $i060 for first patent and Si0.46 for second patent. This shows a large reduction under August prices.
 Beans Are Abundant.
 The bean harvest this year is estimated by the Department of Ag- riculture at approximately 100000 bushels in excess of last year, or nearly double last year, and prom ises an abundant supply The grow CTS associations in leading bean producing states are holding beans for from 1872 to l5 cents per pound, as against an average price realized by the growers last year of eight cents per pound. There has been 100 per cent increase in the Man rhurian bean crop, and it is now estimated at 100000 tons. Owing to shipping shortage practically the only outlet is to the United States, and these beans will flow into the American market from Decebmer on much below the prices now being demanded for American beans.
 Corn Greatly Increased.
 "Ihe corn harvest this year is 600 to 700 million bushels over last year. and will be generally available about the end of November. The price of corn rose to $2.30 per bush el in July and now stands at Si.90 per bushel in Chicago. New corn Is quoted in Chicago at Si.i3 per bush el for December, and indicates near ly 40 per cent drop in the price of when the new corn is gen. erally available.
 The very large corn supplies from the new harvest, together with the larger supplies of barley, vel vet beans. cotton seed, peanut and soy bean meal, 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 the course of regulation.
 Big Potato Crop.
 We have a potato harvest of 59 per cent in excess of the crop of last year. The price at the loading points varies from Si.50 to S2.S0 per hundred pounds, depending on the section where grown and the cost of getting them to market. The aver age price of potatoes delivered in the markets has closely followed the price which the producer has received plus the cost of distribu- ton to the market.
 "The larger supply of cars and the -. t.-..o-f xx,ar~o,,f Iox.rar ,1rtnac