Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-07
VALUE
is ON INCREASE
Old Hard Cost OF Living Hard Hit
BY Marked Drop I'm Price
OF S2ple Groceries.
DECLINE IS SEVEN PER CENT
Such are the Figures for Month
of Jan. Is to Feb. Is; Eagles
Streng h i'm Comeback.

The American eagle which al
most lost IFS voice IS a talking
power at the grocer's during the
war is showing signs of regaining
it
A dollar at the grocer's in jan
uary was worth $107 in February,
which means that the cost of food
throughout the country declined Z
per cent between. Jan. Is and
Feb. Is.
When the cook bought navy
beans a year ago, she got five
pounds for a dollar. Today she
can get ten pounds.
1t cost 20 cents to buy a dozen
eggs in Rock Island last fall To-
day they can be purchased at from
A. to so cents.
Milk was sold at II cents the
quart last fall and winter 1t is
now selling here at Is cents and
the dairymen are promising that it
will be sold beginning May l, at
"a cents.
scent Bread Distant.
The scent loaf of bread is not
here vet. but a 12-ounce loaf can
now be purchased at Z cents from
s2me grocers and cents from 9TH
ers. The same bread sold at 10
cents last fall and winter
Rice. which sold at Is and IA
cents last fall is now quoted al 12
cents.
Butter, pure creamery. remains
dear. 1t reached the peek at IS
cents in January. 1t is now quot
ed at y cents.
Sirloin steak, quoted at so to 81
cents last fall and winter. is now
selling at As cents.
Lamb Shops Take Drop.
Lamb chops show a decline. Aft
CT selling at 43 to IS cents last fall
and winter, they are now quoted
here at AZ cents a pound
A good brand of coffee can be
purchased in Rock Island today at
81 cents. The same brand sold for
So cents in January last
The bureau of labor statistics re-
port shows that retail price of all
articles of food combined for the
entire country was per cent high
er on Feb. Is, 1919, than on Feb.
Is. 1918
This is the greatest decline in
retail prices since 1913. There
was also a decline of per cent
from Dec. 10. 1918. to Jan. Is. 1919.
Twenty-three Articles Lower.
OF 35 articles of food on which
the bureau got prices, there
was decline shown in %.
Those showing a decline were
sirloin steak, round steak, chuck
roast. plate beef, pork chops, sliced
be con. sliced ham, lamb. hens.
butter, oleomargarine. cheese. lard.
crisco, eggs, corn meal, rice. navy
beans. potatoes. baked beans.
canned corn. sugar. and corn fakes.
There is an increase shown in
the price of canned salmon, eVap-
Grated milk, nut margarine, cream
pf wheat, cabbage. onions. canned
noted in bread, milk and rib roast.
Marked Drop in Dry Goods.
Staple CRY goods show a remark
able decline
Calico which sold in Rock Island
IN May of last year at 26 cents the
yard. is now quoted at 20 cents ::
porcales which sold at AZ cents the
yard last October are now, quoted
at "a cents; ginghams show a de-
cline of cents the yard Muslin,
! bieached. selling last May at So
cents, is now sold at 26 cents the
yard sheeting is quoted at so
cents against IS cents last spring.
Sheets which sold last spring at
sH14 are now selling at $1.SS;
outing flannel. accents last spring
is now 81 cents the yard.
/ Mems standard SIS suits which
were boosted to $3.50 to $50 last
spring. are again being offered at
the old price of SIS here. Other
grades are also cheaper.