Evening star., 1919-08-18

markets at cents straight an ear.
Potatoes sold at 60 cents q peck gen
orally, but at one stand in the Louisi-
ana avenue market were selling for 80
cents. Cantaloupes of the best quality
sold for 10 cents apiece. or three for a
quarter. Dealers at the Arcade mar
ket sold them in quantity for cents
apiece. An inferior grade of canta-
loupes sold at the Georgetown market
for cents apiece.
Meats Generally Stable.
Prices of meats were generally
stable today. but showed no sign of
the drop indicated last Saturday,
when prices as a rule indicated a down
ward tendency. The best cuts of
sirloin steak were selling at Center
and Louisiana avenue markets at SIS
and 60 cents; at the Georgetown,
Arcade and 0 Street markets for SO
cents. No dealer at these markets
charged more than SO cents for sirloin
steak and one dealer at the o Street
market sold sirloin for 20 cents.
Dealers at the Georgetown market
were sold out Of meat long before
closing time Saturday night. Rib
roast was quoted at % cents at this
market. the lowest price in the city.
Prices for rib roast generally were
showed variations Of sometimes as
per cent In price. Stalls in Center
market sold round steak at from IS
to 50 cents. depending. dealers said
on the cut and its nearness to the sir-
loin cut.
steak sold at one stand for 80 cents
and at another for As cents a pound
Pork chops were selling. when they
could be bought. for from 38 to 50
cents In the city markets. Prices at
Center market were generally about
~ cents. while at the o Street mar
ket no dealer had them at less than
50 cents. and In one case they were
selling for IS cents. Pork loin could
be bought in the piece, weighing
eighteen pounds. for 50 cents a
pound. although by the pound 1t was
selling for ~ and 4s cents.
No Drop in Vegetables.
Vegetables dropped in price satur-
day at many stands. but there was
no indication that prices were slash
most Of the downtown stands for 80
cents peck sold for 90 cents at Ar
cade market. Lima beans generally
sold 10 cents quarter peck. Onions
maintained a stable price Of 80 cents
a peck and beets could be bought for
. Genus LOT Two DunCneS OF Genus q
bunch. Carrots sold generally at is
cents a quarter peck. Cymhlings,
while generally selling at 8 for 10
cents, or for s cents, sold at one
stand at Arcade market for less than
2 cents apiece.
Tomatoes sold for 10 cents a pound.
but at one stand at the o Street mar
ket. 7th and o streets. a dealer asked
13 cents a pound or two pounds for a
quarter. Probably the greatest in
crease was in the price OF corn, which
maintained uniform price In the
large markets Of the city Of cents an
ear.
How Beef Quarter Is Cut.
Norman Brooks. large dealer in
beef at the Center market, who testi-
fed last week before the Senate COM
mittee investigating high prizes in tho
Washington markets. showed a re-
porter for The Star how beef was cut
from q quarter and explained how
much profit he made. A round of beef,
which means the leg. including steaks,
bouillon cuts and the shank. cost him
50 cents a pound wholesale. he said.
This, in the sample which he cut,
which weighed ffty-three pounds.
cost $3.50. Out of this round Of beef.
he cut 20h pounds Of round steak,
about fifteen cuts, which he sold at
80 cents a pound; 10 pounds OF stew
beef, which he sold for Is cents
pound; 10h pounds Of bouillon beef,
and ~ pounds Of shin, mostly bone,
but which has on 1t a little beef,
enough to make soup, he explained.
This whole shin he sold Tor so cents.
His price to the consumer for the
round of beef is explained in the fol-
lowing table:
2oh pounds Of round steak At so. .slo.25
10 pounds Of stew beef at 25. ............ $50
iOh pounds Of boullon beef at 90. 0....... ais
pounds Of shin bone. e................... 50
This table Of prices. Mr.. Brooks ex-
planned. was typical of the stands in
Center market dealing in high-grade
beef. At these prices he made q lit
tie less than 10 per cent on his in
vestment, a net profit for the round
Of beef of $50.
Dealers in the outlying markets
and in small stores. Mr.. Brooks said,
charged higher prices in most cases,
for the reason that they c5 not have
so quick turnover OF stock as those
in Center market and other large
market dealers. A round Of beef, he
said, depreciates approximately half
pound in weight per twenty-four
hours, due to dripping and shrinkage.
To make up this loss. dealers have to
charge more than in those markets
where a quick turnover in stock is
brought about.
DRY ENFORCING DELAYS
CIVIL Retirement BILL