New-York tribune., 1920-09-11
Drop i'm Retail
Prices of Food
Recorded Here
Downward Trend Manifest
Among Wholesalers for
Weeks Finally Felt i'm
Trade to the Consumers
Sugar Leads i'm Decline
Meats, Butter and Eggs Re-
main Up; O'Malley Is
Planning Direct Action

Marked indications that the high cost
OF living is beginning its long awaited
tumble became evident yesterday in a
survey made by The Tribune Of the
prevailing prices in the wholesale and
retail food markets in and around New
York.
A downward tendency had been dis
played for weeks by the wholesalers,
but the retailers persisted in maintain
ing high prices. Now, however, some
of these, too, appear to have fallen in
line. For those storekecpers who de-
cline to join in reducing prices the De-
partment of Justice and Commissioner
of Markets O'Mallcy are planning raids
and prosecutions for profitecring.
The decline has been most marked in
sugar, coffee, tomatoes, potatoes, rice
and few other products. Meats, but
ter and eggs have for the most part
remained firm against the downward
tendency and in many cases have even
gone higher. In the case of eggs the
retail prices are widely at variance
with the wholesale prices, showing that
the retail dealers are unwilling to come
down to the new low level.
I. argest Reduction in Sugar
The drop in prices has been most
pronounced in sugar. A month ago it
was selling for as high as % cents a
pound. Yesterday it was quoted by
wholesalers at Is and II cents, with
the retailers selling it for 18 and 10
cents. Coffee had fallen on an average
Of 10 cents in both the wholesale and
retail markets; rice has come down
about cents a pound, and potatoes
have taken a drop of from to cents
pound. Canned tomatoes of all
grades have tumbled cents can.
There has been slight decline in
the price of -four, but merchants say
that Il marked drop will be noted soon
with the arrival of new goods. Similar
reductions are predicted for corn, beans
and peas.
Meats have actually gone up from
. to S cents pound, the butchers COM
planning that it is hardly possible to
obtain first class cuts of beef. Poultry,
too, has gone up from to cents
pound.
While the Bureau of Markets Of the
United States Department of Agricul-
lure quotes the wholesale price Of cX
ira butter at STA cents pound, retail
OcalcES were OuSfiuS IL 1Ol
as nigh as 8 Scents. Fresh gathered
eggs, selling wholesale at from 50 to
56 cents dozen, were being sold by
retailers for from 65 to 72 cents.
Vegetables and Fruits High
Prices Of vegetables and fruits con-
tinua to remain firm and high. After
weeks of campaigning against gouglng
fruit dealers, Commissioner O'Malley
ho ho boo on Ia af
cd shat will cause decline in these
prices. In conjunction with the State
Federation of Agriculture he has
brought six carloads of apples into
the city which are being offered to
the public through the chain stores
at five cents pound. There are
about four apples to the pound.
Mr.. O'Malley further agrees to send
a barrel of them, containing about
675 apples, to any address in Greater
New York, for Sc, including the cost
of shipping. These apples, he ex-
plains, are Grade A, two and half
inch or more, and are being sold by
regular dealers for from $40 to SIS
a barrel, or Is cents pound. Ad-
ditional carloads will arrive daily, he
declared, and soon pears, peaches and
plums will be dumped on the market
In a similar manner.
sioner O'Malley, "that this is only one
instance where the retailers are not
rejecting the downward trend of the
wholesale food market. | can't see
how the restaurants can continue to
ask such high prices when the cost OF
their products have taken such a
tumble. The farmer is certainly not
getting big price and the consumer
is paying high figure both to the
retailer and in the restaurant. | shall
look into some of these dealers and
ind out why they aren't more reason
able"
Wholesale and Retail Prices
Below is list of staple food prod
uets showing their present Wholesale
and retail prices. The wholesale ono
tations were obtained from Austin.
Nichols Co. The retail prices from
James Butler, Inc. The retail prices
were slightly higher in the non-chain
stores: go
Article wbo,oaa,