The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1919-09-25
COST OF FOOD HERE
BELOW THE AVERAGE
Survey of Middle West Col
lege Towns Shows Column
bia Well Down.
ONLY 3 ARE LOWER
Vegetables Sell Cheaper at
Local Markets Than in
Other Cities.

iltie VII uiSHer tudu III OIner towns,
but Columbia has not suffered from
high prices as much as other college
towns in the Middle West, according
to figures compiled by Walter Burr,
director of the rural service depart
ment of the Kansas State College of
Agriculture at Manhattan.
On August 9, agents selected by Mr..
Burr, who contemplated an investiga-
ton of food prices, went to the mar
kets in eighteen towns in Missouri,
Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa
and Colorado and four markets in
Kansas City and secured prices on a
specified bill of food. Most of the
towns were university or college
towns, ten of them being in Kansas.
The average price of the bill was
$16.S7. Columbia ranked fourth from
the lowest figure on the bill. The
price of the food here was $3.50. The
price secured at the south Kansas City
markets, $14.25, was the lowest. Fort
Collins, Colo, ranked second from
the bottom with the price s15.22, and
central Kansas City came third with
S15.63, as its price. Goodland, Kan,
priced the goods at $1S.5S, the high
est amount recorded in the test.
Prices at other towns were: Man.
haitian, Kan, $16.63; Salina, Kan,
$16.92; Hays, Kan, $16S9; Dodge City,
Kan, 1882; Hutchinson, Kan, s16.6O;
Mcpherson, Kan, s15.S9; Liberal,
Kan, $16.72; Marion, Kan, s16.2O; At
Gibson, Kan, S16.15; Kansas City,
north, s15.73; Kansas City, business,
$16.9S; Lincoln, Neb., S16.92; Beatrice,
Neb, S16.S7 Clarinda, Ia, s17.1O; Red
Oak, Ia, $17OS, and Boulder, Colo,
S16.42.
Columbia Second for Flour.
Forty-eight pounds of white flour
was found cheapest at south Kansas
City, where it was priced at $1.50. Co.
lumbia and Fort Collins ranked sec
ond, both with a price of s2.75. Ten
pounds of graham -four was 6 cents
above the average price of 81 cents
when priced here. Ten pounds of corn
meal was only 60 cents, or cents
lower than the average price, while
one pound of both white and graham
bread sold here as at the average
number of places for 10 cents.
One pound of navy beans was pric-
ed here at the average price, 12k
| cents, and one pound of rice priced
at Is cents, or the average price. One
pound of granulated sugar was one
half cent cheaper here than the av-
erage or liz cents. One quart Of
Karo syrup sold for 35 cents here while
the average was only 25 cents. One
quart of dark Karo syrup sold for s
cents more here than at the average
of 80 cents.
Canned vegetables were little
cheaper in Columbia than most places.
| A three-pound can of tomatoes was
priced at local markets at 20 cents
while the average of the twenty-five
markets was 20 cents. A can of corn
sold for the average price, 20 cents.
Canned peace were 1 cent cheaper
here or 20 cents. Pink salmon sold
here for cents can more than the
average or 81 cents, and red salmon
sold for 4 cents more than at the av-
erage number of places or 40 cents.
Meats Above Average Here.
The better cuts of meat were more
expensive in Columbia than the av.
lerage on that day, while the cheap
er cuts sold for less here than else
where. One pound of round steak was
| priced at 40 cents, figure not ex-
ceeded and equalled on that day only
by Goodland and Atchison, Kan, the
business district in Kansas City, Red
Oak, Ia, Boulder, Colo, and Beatrice
Neb. The average Of the prices listed
Il was 36 cents, while the lowest price
recorded was at the central market
district in Kansas City The price here
was % cents T-bone beef sold at AZ
cents pound, while the average was
only 80 cents, the highest, AZ cents
was in the Kansas City business dis
trict and the cheapest was in the CEN
tral district there at 25 cents pound
Other meat prices were: Beef, loin
Columbia 35 cents; average 81 cents
rump beef, Columbia % cents; aver
age 27 cents; chuck beef, Columbia
20 cents; average 25 cents; dried beef
Columbia rs cents; average 20 cents.
Pork Price Below Average.
Prices of pork in Columbia as COM
pared with the average prices were:
Pork chops, Columbia AZ cents; aver
age 431a cents; leg pork, Columbia AZ
cents; average AZ cents; loin pork
Columbia AZ cents; average 42 cents
smoked ham, Columbia AZ cents; aver
age so cents; sausage, Columbia 80
cents; average 31k cents; bacon, Co
lumbia 43 cents; average So cents.
One pound of lard sold in Columbia
that day for 3S cents or cents less
than the average price. One pound
of Crisco was As cents or one-half cent
lower than the customary price. One
4 "a IL