New-York tribune., 1918-06-03
Commodity Prices
Higher Everywhere
Peace and War Goods Alike
Affected by Worldwide
Imitation

There IS nothing exclusive about the
rise in commodity prices. The ten
dency is not peculiar to any one part
of the world. 1t is found everywhere,
although in varying degree. According
to compilation of the National City
Bank, the advince in prices has extend
ed to the peaceful banana plantations
OF Central America, the rice fields of
the Orient, the sheep ranges of Aus
tralla, the silk worm establishments of
Japan, the sugar plantations of Cuba,
the tin mines of the Malayan PENN
sula, the olive fields of Spain, the swine
ranges of China and the bean planta
tions of South America and Manchuria.
Prices of merchandise being exported
from all parts of the world have in
per cent above those prevailing before
the war and are materially higher than
those of year ago.
Take the humble banana as an ex-
ample, imported from the peaceful
countries of Central America, Cuba,
Jamaica, British Honduras, Colombia
and the Dominican Republic. The av-
erage price in the countries from which
it is exported to the United States was
46.6 cents bunch in January, 1918,
against SO cents in January, 1917, and
31.3 cents a bunch in January, 1914, an
advance Of about so per cent since the
January preceding the beginning of the
war. The pig growers of China ap-
parently have also heard the news of
the world advance in prices, since
bristles, chiefly imported from China,
jumped in price from SO cents a pound
in the country of production in Febru-
AIRY, 1914, to S1.96 in February, 1918, an
increase of 1913 per cent. Horse skins,
cbi ioAx
exported from that country in Febru-
airy, 1914 at 1876 cents pound, and in
February, 1918, at 81 cents a pound, an
increase of practically 100 per cent.
Edible olive oil, chiefly from Spain and
Italy, was imported in February, 1914,
at an average of $1.25 gallon, and in
February, 1918, the average import
price was S3.05 gallon. Rice flour
from Siam. Hong Kong, Japan, China
and other Oriental countries was i'm
ported February, 1914, at an average
OF 1T cents pound; in February, 1913,
at cents q pound.
The cotton growers Of Egypt evil
IDENTIFY realized the world advance in
prices, for the average import price Of
the cotton entering the United States,
coming chiefly from Egypt, was in
February, 1914, but 1873 cents per
pound and averaged in January and
February, 1918, 35 cents per pound.
Raw silk, chiefly from Japan and
China, averaged $363 per pound in
February, 1915, and $3.50 in the clos
ing months Of 1917. Beans, imported
largely from South America, Man
churia, India, Japan and China, aver
aged in February, 1914, $1.66 per
bushel and in February, 1913, 1898 per
bushel. Flax, imported normally from
Russia, Scotland and Ireland, aver
aged in February, 1914, in the country
from which exported, 1859 per ton, and
in February, 1918, $1,188, or more than
four times as much in 1918 as in 1914
Sisal, an important fibre, coming
from our near neighbor, Mexico was
at the place of expectation in 1914
SIG per ton, and at the same place in
January, 1918, 1859 per ton. Even the
lnotFensive "goober," from West Africa
ened to the situation, for the average
market price of peanuts coming to the
United States, chiefly from West
Africa, China and Japan, is officially
quoted at cents per pound in Feb
ruary, 1914, and 6.6 per pound in Feb
ruary, 1918
In a few articles, very few, there is
no advance, and in some an actual de-
cline. Coffee, coming to US from forty
Inherent countries and colonies of the
World, chiefly from Latin America and
the Orient, showed an average market
price IN February, 1914, of 11.2 cents
per pound, and in February. 1918 an
average price of but 81 cents per
pound. Cocoa, coming from a score of
countries and colonies, averaged in
FEBRUARY. 1914, III cents per pound
and IN February, 1918, 1913 cents ner
pound '' pei