Evening star., 1918-08-01
DAILY Price LIST
TO AID CONSUMER
Department Of Agriculture
Bureau Of Markets to Is
sue One Here.
EXPERTS TO GET FIGURES

What is expected to prove the most
decisive step yet taken to bring down
food. prices in Washington is the in
auguration of daily market price
guide, which will keep the house
keeper thoroughly acquainted with
market conditions and the prices she
should pay to the retailer.
This daily marketing guide will be
issued by the bureau of markets of
the Department Of Agriculture. work
ing in conjunction with the District
Food Administration. Assistance also
will be given by the department OF
weights and measures OF the District.
The bureau Of markets in state
ment today describing the purposes
of this daily market reporting serv-
ice, explains that 1t will be conducted
for the benefit of consumers and
growers alike. Dealers also should
find the service beneficial as sta
bilizer of the market.
Simple Form Proposed.
It will be the aim of this service,
to strip away all technicalities from
market reports and to present them
in a form that will enable every
housewife to understand them. In
addition, the quotations will be &C.
companied by comments on market
conditions and non-technical inter-
probation of the market quotations
A useful feature of the reports Will
be classification OF the most I'M
portant products under the headings
ABUNDANT" normal" and scarce"
Commencing Saturday morning. an
expert market man. an employe OF
the bureau of markets, will be on
hand at the early morning wholesale
selling of vegetables, melons una
berries to the retailers. The com,
ments and price fixing Will be oaseo
upon his reports.
"The bureau Of markets feels that
while many forces operate to pring
about an increasing cost OF living
and while there are perhaps numer-
Gus defects in the prevailing market
ing machinery, one of the important
considerations IN both connections Is
a general lack Of knowledge on the
part of consumers, ana 10 a large
degree also on the part OF producers.
as to just what is going on In the
market" says the bureau in its state
ment.
Advice for Housewives.
Another feature which should find
favor with the housewife Is advice
on the most advantageous time to can
and store vegetables and fruits and
housewives complain each year that
the periods of abundance for certain
products pass before they realize IT
and that they must then buy tneir
materials for canning, ETC., at rel
atively high prices.
.aThe daily market guide will cover
from the first fresh fruits and vege.,
tables. Meats and poultry will be added
shortly and fish probably will be In
cluded also. These are all items Of q
prices Of which fiuctuate rapidly. The
prices, at which the products are being
supplied to storekeepers, hucksters and
other retail dealers by farmers and
wholesale and commission, firms will be
collected early each morning by a
grade and quality into consideration.
Meat prices to retail dealers will be col
lected by a meat specialist familiar with
grades and quality.
'The prices paid by retail dealers
will form the basis of the report:
However, by means of the addition of
a certain percentage for each product
agreed upon by the District Food Ad-
ministration and its advisers as equi-
table fair consumers prices Tor the
day will be arrived at. This percent
age advance over the price paid by
retailers cost of doing business and
legitimate profit.
Quotations to Be Current.
.The two columns Of prices-what
the dealers pay on the day of publi-
cation and the fair retail prices for
that day-will then be released for
publication in the daily market guide.
It is manifestly impossible to deter
mine fair prices for a day in ad-
vance due to the fluctuations in
wholesale prices which may occur
the next morning.
THE opportunity which housewives
vii! have. by referring to the fair
price list. to check up on purchases
liable to her. 1t will place her in q
position either to protest to the deal
er or to the food administration If she
has been grossly overcharged or to
select for all her trade the dealers
whose prices are fair"
The bureau of markets will be glad
to receive any suggestions as to how
the Washington market reporting
service can be made more useful. AL
though the service is operated In a
number OF cities IN various parts OF
the country. it is recognized that local
situations vary, and every effort is
made to best adapt the service to pre-
vailing conditions. The service is now
in operation in Chicago. st. Paul. Dem
yer, st. Louis, Cleveland, Boston.
Providence, r. l.; Hartford, New
Haven and Bridgeport. Conn. and
Worcester. Lawrence and Springfield.
Mass.