Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-24
|OOD COSTS ARE
VARIABLE, TABLE
FOR YEAR SHOWS
any Staples Have Mounted
Since January. 1918,
Grocers Report
DFFEE BIG OFFENDER
utter and Eggs at Last Strike
the Downward
Course

frhe great American dollar repre-
hts far less actuaL.yalue this year
|hn it did in 1918 at this time, a
neral survey of local market con-
ions to-day shows. Never in re-
pit years has a wage payers money
presented so little to him, dollar
Il dollar, as it does at this time.
Food prices as a whole are con-
erably higher than they have
=en in many years. Clothing, coal
II other necessary articles show
fresponding increases within the
st twelve months, but it is the
bd increases that pinches the
-erage American more than any
her.
Some few articles of food show
=freases in price to-day. but they
present the smaller bulk of a per-
rs diet. The chief articles of sus-
nance show big jumps during the
riod and raise the general average
Bt appreciably.
Meats Ascending
Comparing item by item, the re-
prices of mid-January, 1918, and
twelve months later, one finds
reals and cereal products every
ere showing no increase, and in
Pst of the sections east of the
ssissippi a commendable drop is
ticeable. Root crop vegetables
bw no increase, retailers figures
bw, although they show no ten
hey to drop.
NJ eats of all kinds have ascended
bbably more quickly and faster
IN have any of the other articles
diet. Pork, beef and lamb are
" selling at figures which have
been scaled for many years. The
np on all of these meats during
year ending to-day has averag-
from five to eight cents a pound,
compilation of figures of retail
at dealers figures in Harrisburg
day, show.
Prices Now Stationary
These figures have been standing
some months. their spectacular
tensions having been made early
1918. No promise of an, early
Ecension from the heights at
ich they now stand, can be fore
Dealers are unanimous in their
nion that the figures will remain
broSimately the same for. the next
lr. Then it is believed that drop
the prices wiR come. Just now
enormous supply of meat of all
IDS are being shipped to the war;
tasted countries of Europe and
Fir starving populace. r..
The production of livestock in the
tied States during the past year
seldom been surpassed, but the
brmous demands for government
and for foreign shipment rapidly
allowed up great portion of this
ge production. Yards in the big
ok exchanging centers are teem-
with activity. The slaughter
records are enormous, but not
ii the foreign markets are satiat-
some months hence, can a re-
ftion of the prices in domestic
rkets be expected.
Butter has been another stellar
htor, figures of a central district
|cer make plain. Prices of this
1modity are from fourteen to
enty-five per cent. higher than
" were twelve months previous,
this following the recent re-
ton in price of the product.
amery prints have jumped from
to so cents per sixteen ounces.
sh butter shows an increase of
cents, selling at 62 cents in the
n market to-day.
Eggs have not made much change
hin the past year, although they
are considerable of a luxury.
sh eggs are selling at 65 cents
lay as compared with 10 cents
I've months ago, but they are
e scarce and do not fill large
fe in many persons diets. Stor-
eggs which are eaten quite
eely and which are used almost
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