The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-10-19
WAR Time BRINGS
HIGHER FOOD PRICES
Entrance of the United States Into
War Has Made Food Situa-
ton More Serious


the people of America wonder where
the increase in the price of food is
going to stop. In four years time
the prices of commodities have ad-
vanced until today -four is almost
three times as much, sugar is about
twice as high, coal has nearly
doubled it's price, butter and eggs
have increased almost so per cent
and thru long list of commodities
similar advances are revealed in a
comparison of figures from price lists
of 1913 and 1917, Notwithstanding
a reduction in many necessities since
last winter when higher prices were
recorded.
Prospects for lower prices are not
bright, according to food officials,
who point out that, thru the opera
ton of the food-fixing policy of the
federal government aided by the
huge crops of the past summer, high
er quotations can hardly be justified.
During the last six months there
have been many predictions of high
er figures for the coming winter
Reports of the United States depart
ment of agriculture, however, which
show enormous increases in the corn
crop, large wheat crop and billions
of pounds of meats and dairy prod
ucts in cold storage seems to indi-
cate an adequate supply of food pro-
viding system Of distribution is
found.
Two phases of the food situation
have developed from the entrance of
the United States into the war. Be-
fore this the food problem gave lit
tie concern to the nation, but with
the United States assuming the re-
sponsibility of feeding it's allies, gov
ernmental regulation became neces-
sary and the price fixing policy of
the national food administration has
resulted.
Out of the planning and legislat-
ing in Washington has emerged a
food control board which, aided by
state and municipal committees, is
educating the public to an apprecia-
ton of unused food resources and to
a more economical and wiser use of
the stable articles. This education
Is expected to result in greatly in
creasing the export supply and help
the nation to take it's place as the
chief food supplier of the world.
An astonishing situation was re-
vealed in the enormous stocks of
cold storage turkeys, chickens, beef,
mutton, pork and lamb, as recorded
by the United States department of
agriculture. Those in touch with
the markets trace the beginning of
th1 S movement to one year ago,
when the prices for poultry of all
sorts started to advance to higher
prices than ever before. When
Thanksgiving arrived and dealers in
the large eastern cities insisted on
40 and As cents pound for turkey,
various civic and consumers leagues
announced boycott on poultry The,
dealers were not dismayed but
placed large quantity in storage
to wait for demand that would en-
able them to dispose of them at the
original prices.
During the winter months and fol-
lowing the entrance of the United
States into the war, the consumption
VI poulIIy ulIHlHlSneQ. lnlS COnQ1-
ton of the market continued until
in midsummer the poultry trade
started nationwide campaign to
increase the consumption of poultry.
In this they were aided by a patri-
otto impulse of the people to eat
chicken instead of the meats needed
in the army. Prices failed to lower
for the best grades, only the two
and three Founders selling at reduc-
ed prices
Prospects for cheaper potatoes are
brighter this year than last A total
increase of 176,563,O0O bushels in
the United States is reported, the
total output estimated at 462,OOO,-
600 bushels. In the case of meats
the advance has been almost entirely
in the retail prices, the wholesale
prices advancing but little. Pork has
reached unheard Of heights with ba-
con selling at almost double the
price charged in 1871.
Fish is in the eye of the nation
with federal and state food, officials
urging its substitution for meat and
the prices steadily ADVANCING not
outstanding a large supply. \The
catches of New England fishermen
this year are reported to have been
larger than ever before in the hisA