Evening star., 1918-05-21
DISTRICT TO HAVE
=.
MEAT COST INQUIRY:
Food Administrator Wilson
Responds to Appeals From !:
Many Sources.
INTEREST is NATIONWIDE

The meat prices In Washington are
to undergo . rigid investigation, ac-
cording to an announcement made to-
day by Clarence r. Wilson, federal.
food administrator for the District OF
Columbia.
Administrator Wilson for several
weeks has watched the prices of
meats-salt as well as fresh meat
steadily climb. and during that time
many appeals have been made TO him
by protesting housewives from every
section of the city. They complained
that the prices OF meats. even those
known as common or ordinary cutAs
had reached a point where they were
declared not only unreasonable, but
practically prohibitive.
After giving the question due re-.
Election Administrator Wilson today
decided to investigate conditions. He
proposes TO appoint a special commit
tee to conduct the investigation. which
will be carried out along the lines of
the recent investigation OF bread
prices in Washington. The personnel
OF this special committee will be an
nounced in a few days.
Not In Weekly List.
Meats have not been included in the
weekly enicial fair price" list. pub
lished by authority OF the local ad-
ministrator. in view Of the fact that
1t Is considered dificult to arrive at q
definite price because OF the vartous
and the varied grades.
1t is pointed out that IN the case
as seven classiications-four for
steer meat and three for what. 10
termed by the packers as COW meat.
Because Of this. Mr.. Wilson has found
| 1t impracticable to form q basis upon
The price raising. in connection
| with meats. 10 by no means confined
| to Washington. In fact. the condi-
tfons prevailing throughout the ma
| tion are such that United States Food.
Administrator Hoover brought the at
| tention OF President Wilson to II, and
as a result the latter has authorized
| the appointment of q special commit
| tee to make a national investigation
self as being eager to learn what
| ID responsible for the great differ
| ence between the price paid 70 the
cattle raiser and the price eventually
AS a result OF this investigation
| the probe into the conditions In
washington will be more or lees Of q
local aspect of a national question !,
Housewives State Condition..
Housewives appealing for relief
from what they term the exorbitant
prices of meat, contend that they have
paid as high as 81 cents within the
past week for what is commonly
called round steak, and or cents
more for better grades known n ten
derioin and sirloin. Ordinary stewtng
meats have been selling for prices
ranging from IS to 40 cents and
chuck steak has figured about the
same. At some stores these grader
have been cheaper. and At others they
have been higher. At any rate Ad-
ministrator Wilson is convinced that
the time has come when eomethtng
must be done for the RELIEF Of the.
people.
He said he realizes that the pack
ers have been consistently Increasing
prices, but there is a question in his
mind whether the price asked by the
| retailers is warranted. Figures AL
ready obtained by his once show that
In most cases the retailers' price 10
about 100 per cent above the whole
sale price. :.
Mr. Wilson 10 contemplating adding
standard hams and bacons to hiei
weekly fair-price quotations this
week.