The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-09-26
Columbia Housewives Insist
Upon the Best Meats
at Whatever Cost
HEADQUARTERS ARE HIGH
Fair Price Commissioners Find
Forequarter Cuts Selling
For One-Half Cost of Hind
quarters.

Columbia, S. c., Sept. 25.-The
study of the mark keting of fresh meats
in Columbia recently made through
the Office of the fair price commission
er, shows that although the cuts of
beef from forequarters are much
cheaper than the cuts from hindquar-
ters, there is little or no demand for
the former class Of cuts. The inves-
tigation proved. according to q state
ment issued from the office of the
fair price commissioner, that retail
dealers in Western dressed meats,
particularly beef, ought to reduce
their prices in some instances, but
such is not the case with dealers in
native dressed meat, at least not un-
TIL the demand for the cheaper cuts
of meat is increased locally.
Commenting on the results of in
Vestigations of the sale of fresh meats
In Columbia, A. ID. Oliphant, fair
price commissioner, said that it was
astonishing that with the cost of liy-
ing at It's present high level, there
should be no demand, comparatively.
for the cheaper cuts of fresh meat.
Oliphant's Statement.
The following statement in regard
to the investigation of the price of
fresh meats in Columbia was issued
from the Office of the fair price COM
missioner:
Careful attention has beer given
gently to the~wholesale and retail
market for fresh meats in Columbia.
The sales of beef are far larger IN
volume than those OF any other fresh
meat. Therefore, the inquiry in Col
umbia has been conducted chiefly
along two lines: First, the relative
rate OF consumption of the higher and
lower priced cuts Of beef, and second.
the relative amounts of profit made
with the amounts of profit on them
declared to be fair by the fair price
committee of New York.
Under the first point covered by
this inquiry, 1t was developed beyond
question that the demand for the
cheaper cuts of fresh beef in Colum-
bit is very much less than the demand
tor the better cuts. This being the
case. 1t was not surprising to find
when the figures on the second point
In the investigation were tabuIated
that the profits made on the better
class cuts of beef were in some in, :.
stances decidedly higher in Columbia
than the amounts fixed by the fair
price committee in New York.
Prices Are Compared.
I'm making the investigation of the
wholesale and retail dealers in fresh
meat in Columbia, prices furnished by
two wholesale dealers in Western
dressed meats and six retail dealers.
some of whom handled only Western
meats and some of whom handled
only native dressed meats were COM
pared. On the day these prices were
obtained, only one of the wholesale
dealers had in stock any forequarters
or beef, from which the cheaper cuts
OF beef are obtained. Both dealers
had In stock hindquarters, from
which come the cuts OF the better
class. Similarly, one of the retail deal
ers in meat carried no stock OF the
cuts from the forequarters OF beef.
Only one out of the six retail deal
ers was prepared to furnish his trade
all four of the principal cuts from
fprequarters. to-wit chuck steak. |
whole cross rib. cut cross rib and stew
meat
Indicating the demand for and
higher consumption OF the cuts of |
beef which come from the hindauar-
ters, five out of six retail dealers had |
complete stocks Of the FIVE better
class cuts of beef, while, as noted
above, both the wholesalers had a |
stock OF hindquarters.
1T appears from this investigation
that probably the best and fairest
way to get lower prices for Aresh
meats I'm Columbia is to increase i'm
mediately the consumption of the cuts