Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-15
MEAT PRICES RISE
DESPITE j. S. PROBE
Cheap Cuts" Go Up From
Three to Eight Cents a
Pound in City
DEALERS BLAME SHORTAGE

Prices Of the so called cheap cuts
OF meat have jumped from three to
eight cents n pound in Philadelphia.
Retailers who purchased their weekly
supplies from the wholesale meat deal
ers today set their prices in accordance
with the increase
The retailers say they must advance
their prices because the wholesaler does.
The wholesaler says the price boost is
caused by an unusual shortage of lighter
cattle at this season.
The best grades Of beef and other
meats are virtually the same price as
they We're last week. They haven't
jumped. But they haven't dropped.
New Scale of Prices
On Thursday the War Department
put a new scale of prices for surplus
foodstuffs into effect 'to meet reduc-
tons recently made by retailers"
The reductions recently made by re-
tailers" have not been felt in this city
Il thought prices would go down
with the government move to reduce the
cost of living and the tagging of so
much cold storage stuff said William
Kamens. n retailer who operates seven
teen meat markets in various parts of
the city. But find instead that prices
have jumped and | can see no reason
whatever for it. 1t is most unusual at
this time of the year. Pork, which is
ordinarily cheap nt this season and
which last week retaled for about
thirty five cents, is this week forty
70 I net 7 l.
sale for thirty cents a pound and this
week it is thirty six cents. and I buy
it in 5000 pound lots, too"
Big Increase in Lamb
The cheaper cuts Of lamb have jumped
highest, according to this dealer. The
price this week is about ten cents higher
than last. Beef has advanced about
three cents on the pound.
"Our retail prices" said Mr.. Ka-
mems. must depend on the supply and
demand. as well as on the locality of
the store and the competition with
which We must deal. That is why prices
vary in different sections of the city.
We cant set any general price that will
hold good in all localities because con
ditions governing the sale differ. If
wholesalers had some set price for their
stuff. we might be able to fix meat
prices for our customers, but | doubt
it the government or any one else could
fix fair meat prices that would be fair
in all sections at the same time"
Wholesalers explained today that the
jump in prices way only in the lighter
cattle and cheaper grades of meat
1T is due" explained H. D. Reese,
a wholesaler. ''to an unusual shortage
at this time of the year. but I think
it is only n local condition and will
last only few days. The best grades
of beef and other meats are virtually the
same price as last week. They are
already so high / don't see how they
could go higher. But they are going
to remain on that level | believe. First
class cattle are scarce and hard to
get and there is big demand for the
best meat. That is going to keep the
price up till after the first of the year,
no matter how much agitation there is
to cut the cost Of living
Prices OF Today
Some of the prices quoted on meats
today were: Lamb chops, 81 and GO
cents pound; pork chops. 5S cents {;
round steak, 50 cents; sirloin steak
IS cents; rump steak. 60 cents.
At chain stores. prices for lamb va
raide from SO to So cents a pound Other
prices averaged about as follows
Chicken. 45 cents; ham. 40 cents
bacon, As cents; rib beef. % to "a
cents; loin pork. 80 cents; veal chops,
40 cents, and stewing beef, % to So
nnntS