New-York tribune., 1919-09-06
New Food List
Shows Prices
Have Halted
City, State and Federal
Campaign Declared to
Have E nd e d Initiation
and Stabilized Market
Smith Plans Conference
To Meet All Persons Who
Have Directed Inquiries;
Palmer Will Be Asked


Palmer Will Be ASKED
The advance in the cost of living
has been checked by the campaign be-
ing conducted by Federal, state and
municipal agencies, Arthur Williams,
Federal Food Administrator, declared
yesterday Mr.. Willams's opinion was
based, he said, on a comparison of the
price list issued yesterday and the
one made public on Tuesday,
He declared the quotations of both
lists show only the slightest variation
and that the average prices are the
same. Before the war against the cost
OF living was declared. he pointed out,
the advance in prices of even the most
essential commodities had been steady
The food administrator refused to
make any prophecies on the early de-
cline of prices, but he declared en-
phatically that in the future only
economic conditions will enter into the
making of prices. Artificial impetus to
the upward movement of prices has
been removed, he said. He added that,
although the Fair Price Committee is
satisfied that the city has been virtu-
ally purged Of profteers and hoarders,
government operatives are on the alert
attempting to unearth the few more
unfair dealers who might have escaped
the initial combing.
Dealers Abide by List
Mr. Williams cited comparisons of
the prices enumerated in the fair price
list and those obtaining in various sec
tions of the city to show that dealers
are abiding by the fair prices. BY add
ing the grocery quotations on the fair
price list and dividing by the number
of commodities, an average of 1913 is
obtained, he said. Averaging in this
way the quotations given by three
groups OF stores, he declared that he
found the committee prices higher than
those of each group. The average of
the first group was 1877, the second
1854 and the third 1883.
Dealers in most sections of the city
are selling reasonably close to the Of
ficial meat prices also, Mr.. Williams
said The average Of all the meat
quotations on the fair price list is SO.
The averages found to be prevailing
in East Side New York were 1884;
middle West Side, 37.7S; The Bronx,
34.34; Broadway. near Ninety-tifth
Street 44.O1; Washington Heights.
1881; Yorkville, Sail.
Yesterdays price list shows an ad
vance of but s. Of a cent over Tues
days in groceries. Canned tomatoes
advanced 5-6 cents; butter, Il to l
cent: potatoes, $40 of / cent, and
onions, u Of l cent. The decreases
were lima beans, q cent; peas, Il
/ Il cents*
Six Gain and Five Drop
In meats six items showed an in
crease and five items a decrease. Four
varieties of lamb advanced one cent a
pound and two varieties Of pork two
cents a pound, because Of the increases
in the wholesale quotations on these
commodities. Five varieties Of beef
products showed decreases in the low
range Of the margin and no increases
OF the high side. The average between
the advancing and decreasing groups
represented slight decrease. Seven
meat quotations remained unchanged.
day that Governor Smith will confer
with the various commissions and
agencies now working in this state to
lower the cost Of living. The date was
tentatively fixed for September Is. At
/ torney General A. Mitchell Palmer has
been invited and it is expected that
if he is unable to attend on the date
named, the conference will be staged
to conform to his convenience.
Sugar Profitecrs Sought
Agents in the Department of Justice
/ began quest Yesterday in search of a
/ school of "sugar sharks" According to
Assistant United States Attorney Mat
thews, a number of these "sharks"
operate among retailers whose custom
ers have been bothcring them for sugar.
/ The sharks" contde to the harassed
dealers that they can quickly and for
cash put two or three barrels at the
dealers disposal for. say. - or l3
cents pound. The governments fixed
price is 9.5 cents wholesale. Shortly
after the dicker is made an auto truck.
with no Identification marks OF any
kind, draws up before the store. de-
posits the sugar as agreed and the
salesman receives the money and van
ishes
Mr.. Matthews said that many of the
retailers conform with the govern
ment's regulations by selling the sugar
/ for II cents retail, losing money but
satisfying their customers. Mr.. Mat
thews yesterday ordered the United
Sugar Company, of All Ninth Avenue,
to make a refund TO all restaurant pro-
prietors and retailers who had been
charged more than II cents for sugar.
Two carloads of red beans were sold
to retailers yesterday at cents a
pound, after the owner had been in
structed by Mr.. Matthews to dispose
! of them within a certain lime limit.