The Washington times., 1919-08-23

Tomatoes, canned. 1914 wholesale
price, 81.5 cents per dozen; 1910 whole
saln price, S2.17; retail price today,
Corn, canned, 1914 wholesale price,
95.5 cents per dozen: 1919 wholesale
price, S2.12; retail price today. SO.
Peas. canned, 1914 wholesale price.
SLIGO per dozen: 1919 wholesale price,
$2.14; retail price today. 1925.
Coffee, 1914 Wholesale price, 1875
cents a pound: 1919 wholesale price,
3O.0; retail price today. 80 cents.
Potatoes, 1914 wholesale price, $2.15;
1919 wholesale price, $3.50; retail
price today, 90 cents a peck.
High Rent Blocks Sale.
w. B. Crow interested the commit
zee in relating his efforts to sell his
business. He said he is paying 325
month for rent on n lonr-term
lease, and when his landlord learned
he was trying to sell out. Insisted that
he put into the contract, $50 rental.
Mr. Crow said that this had blocked
two offers for the disposal of his
business
Simon Blumberg. OF 341 Fifteenth
street southeast, does an average
business Of about $4,000 in groceries,
notions, and candles, and said his
Jrohts were about Is per cent. Ques-
TONED by Senator Sheppard Of Texas,
the witness said that wholesale prices
n general had increased in the last
three months and that he didn't see
anything coming down these days"
Frank G. Windsay, another retailer,
said he was lucky il he made as
much as Sl,s0O profits during an aver
;ge year. His business amounted to
$4,000 in 1917, and about $4,000 in
1918. The wholesalers began dump
ng foodStuffs held in stock on the
etail market early in the spring, he
aid. and pork had increased 5 cents
l pound only last week An upward
-rend was noticeable in the wholesale
price Of tomatoes, corn, and other
vegetables.
Asked by Senator Sheppard II the
retailers could find no relief from
increased wholesale prices, Mr.. Lind
say said that they were "at the
mercy" Of packer agencies here and
had TO take the prices they demand
ed.
Says Prices Are Going Up.
Isaac Kushner. another southeast
grocer, did a $4,000 business from
March 1918 to March 1919 and made
5000 net profit. Wholesale prices are
said he wanted to direct the commit
tees attention to a common practice
Of the jobbers with regard TO sugar
On account of the sugar shortage,
Mr.. Kushner said that the jobbers
very often refused to sell him sugar
at all unless he purchased other COM
modities OF which they had a large
stock on hand. Very often he did not
wish to buy these products, he COM
planned, but was compelled to in or
der to get any sugar. The price OF
soap increased $1.O0 a box last month,
he testified
Leopold Hoddes also testified that
wholesale prices on the average have
increased during the last three
months. Flour that he bought re-
Gently for As cents a bag now costs
him so cents: eggs have gone up
from As cents a dozen to 40 cents
within the last week; butter from 60
cents to 50 cents a pound. He said
the wholesale brokers tell him he
had better put by a large supply Of
articles one week for they are to ad-
vance in price the week following.
There isn't anything Congress can
do" he said. "'You simply can't stop
them from keeping prices up"
David A. Miller said he had the
same experience in his dealings with
the wholesalers. He said he went to
one wholesaler recently who demand
ed % cents a pound for meat, which
he refused. The next day he said
he bought the same meat for Is
cents
J. W. Dixon is a butcher and does
his own slaughtering. Senator Shep-
pard asked him II 1t would not re-
duce prices II more Washington
butchers did their own buying and
slaughtering. Dixon replied that he
can dress beef cheaper than the
packers. and didn't see why others
could not do il also.