New-York tribune., 1919-01-21
Butter and Egg
Prices Decline:
Bread Cheaper
Mild Weather and Govern.
mental Releases Credited
With Causing the Break
5 to 8 Cent Decrease
Wholesale Dealers Look for
Lower Quotations if the
Supply Continues Good

With mild weather and partial re-
lease of fod stocks held or ordered by
the United States and British govern
ments, lower food prices are in sight
Quotations on eggs, bread and butter
began dropping yesterday.
AS outlined by butter merchants and
food market experts, the milk strike
in the metropolitan district and the in
creased cold storage stocks for general
trading have reduced the wholesale
butted price by cents in a single
week. In some grades the reduction
was 81 cents. The decrease, they said
will not be fully felt by consumers for
several days, due to stocks retailers
have on hand, but drop of from four
to five cents pound should be regis
tered Immediately.
canvass of dealers in the Harlem
and Yorkville sections yesterday, show
ed that only four of eleven had failed
TO recognize the reduced prices
ihousands of pounds of butter now
held for shipment to England" said
L. ". toy, local food market expert
Nn!, VIII never see the other
side. This butter is bringing siXtv-two
cents a pound, while British ships, re-
leased from war service, are carving
TONS OF butter from Argentina and
Australla, which is being sold in Eng
iahd Tor 1orty-tive cents a pound. 1t
YOU'D be economic inefficiency to ship
the Ministry's butter from this side
and practically all Of it will be restored
to local circulation.
Chain Stores Reduce Prices
This will affect the fresh butter
market, as diminished cold storage
supply always causes spirited bidding
Tor the fresh butter, sending it to an
abnormally high price. The milk strike
brought thousands OF pounds of butter
TO the market. as butter making was
one of the few outlets for the milk
being withheld"
ss Chain stores reported they had re-
duced prices in accordance with the
drop in the market The Butler com
pany quoted 50 cents a pound yestcr-
day, compared with 73 cents last Mon
day, while Park & Tilford's announced
their price of 73 cents was four cents
less than a week ago
With continued mild weather for an
other week or ten days, the wholesale
price of eggs will fall from 81 cents a
uo1ei W % CeHlS, WIN a corresponding
reduction to the consumers. M. r. Calf
ney, purchasing agent for thinner &
Dunkak, of 173 Duane Street, declared
that perfect weather conditions in
Iowa, Northern Ohio and other sections
of the upper Middle West, usually al
most barren of egg returns at this sea-
son OF the year, are responsible for
growing egg receipts.
Present Market High
"The present market is rather high"
Mr.. Gaffney said yesterday, "but only
a sudden cold wave can prevent sharp
drop. Our receipts at present are not
large, but they are growing, and with
another week of pleasant weather
prices will surely fall. A reduction of
seven. cents. dozen would scarcely
surprise me-"
With the price of the ingredients
which go into the daily bread remain
ing the same, many bakers in all parts
o fthe city yesterday visualed post
war conditions and reintroduced the
eight-cent loaf Of white bread. While
none of the larger firms admitted re-
duction, several independent dealers
widened the eyes of their customers by
giving them change on dime.
The wheat market, which has re-
manned immobile because of govern
mental restriction, promises to show a
reduction when restrictions are lifted.