The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-11
PRICE OF MEAT
Still HIGH TO
IT, CONSUMER
With Producers Selling at
Loss, Meat Still Holds War
time Prices.
BY WILLIAM r. SANBoRN.

A bulletin devoted to retail food
prices in March Of this year, compared
with those prevailing in March, 1918,
and covering % staple articles, states
that there was an average advance
In costs OF IL per cent, the country
over. These are Washington figures,
and though belated are still of in
terest, because March prices, or even
higher ones, still prevail on a number
of these items.
These price statistics, gathered in
all the large cities Of the country
principally. but partly in small inter
Tor towns and cities, show that rib
roast was rs per cent; sirloin and
round steak "a per cent chuck roast
% per cent, and plate beef 81 per
cent higher this year than in March
1918, when the war was raging. and
we were sending men, munitions and
food across to vessel capacity. Cot
fee, too, was up "a per cent and
butter 20 per cent on the same date,
while California prunes were 81 per
cent dearer Bread is said to have
been 7 per cent cheaper this year and
navy beans down 81 per cent, owing
TO let up in demand for beans by our
soldiers.
An average increase Of 10 per cent
in the price of % food staples, months
after the fighting was over, doesn't
seem in accordance with the sup
posedly natural trend. Impossible to
analyZe or to give all the reasons for
this condition, but of this we may be
sure: To advance prices because we
could, had become a worldwide habit
in mercantile circles, from manufac.
turer and packer to jobber and re-
taller. This habit still largely per.
sists. for few men have ever seen
the day when they were making too
much money.
Surplus Of Beef and Lamb
There is now so much beef in the
coolers, and such sluggish demand
for it, that the department Of agricul
ture has just issued a bulletin, a
warning to the public" as to con
ditions and relating to what we may
expect to result from under consump
ton. This bulletin is quite volumin
Gus, but "deeming it important to give
the public certain outstanding facts,
it summarizes them as follows
There is no longer need for mea
conservation. The supply is plenti
full and patriotic citizens may freel!
disregard the meat saving placard
which are still displayed in many eat
ing places.
Europe needs our surplus pork bu
is filling its beef requirements from
South America and Australia. Prices
OF beef cattle have fallen sharply sine
March ! on account of the stoppage o
exports for army use and the slacl
demand at home, due to the continue
ton Of beef conservation under tn,
mistaken idea that such conservation
j. still necessary to feed the peopl
OF Europe.
Beef producers and lamb producer
who sell their products at this tim
are confronted with the danger O
heavy financial losses, which woul
tend to restrict production and caus
q serious shortage in future"
Retail Meat Prices High
1t will be observed that while Ell
rope needs our surplus pork it
now able to supply its wants for fires
beef from South America and Austrs
liza. 1t is a wonder that Washingto
doesn't also include mutton, particl
larly from Australia and New Re;
land, the great, original sources froI
which Britain and, in part, Continel
tai Europe, has imported thousand
Of cargoes Of frozen mutton and lam
annually for number of years.
IN this connection the foreword, tn
first paragraph Of the bulletin, is
Eliminating as to under consumptio
of beef and mutton. Witness this:
With meat prices to the consume
so high that he Is denying himself. an
with the prices of live stock, esp
cially beef and lambs, so low to tn
producer that he is actually losin
money, the nation is confronted wit
a grave problem"
We are tempted to ask a questio
right here. If the price of beef an
lamb is so high that we must der
ourselves a sufficiency. because "
can not afford to buy, how does
come that the price to the farmer g