The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-10-16
FOODS LEAD
ALLIN DOWN
GRADE CUTS

Beginning Of Permanent
Decline Seen in Price
Reductions.
Washington, Oct. 16. Omitted
Press. Food 10 now leading all
other necessities in the downward
sweep Of prices.
The level Of prices paid farmers
for their. products declined 1876 per
cent during September. according
to reports to the agricultural de-
partment covering the entire coun-
try.
Consumers already have begun to
benefit from this sweeping decline,
other reports shows.
Prices paid the farmer on Oct. /
throughout the United States aver
aged. according to the agricultural
department:
White potatoes, $1.35 per bushel !:
sweet potatoes. $1.6l per bushel !:
apples, $1.33 per bushel: butter.
H.1 cents per pound; eggs. SOL
cents per dozen; chickens. 26.4
cents per pound, and wheat. $2.14
per bushel.
Retail prices Of clothing and
more than $50 other commodities
still are on the down grade, govern
ment reports show.
Numerous expressions OF opinion
by high government ofncials indi-
cate price declines already record
ed are regarded a. the beginning
Of q permanent decline In the gen
raj cost Of living.
Secretary Of the Treasury Hous-
ton is one who believes tho crest
Of high prices has bean reached. II
may take years. however, for the
general decline to complete Its
cycle, Houston said.
Governor Harding Of the federal
reserve board, Is another ofiicial
who has declared that the decline
is q permanent beginning Of lower
prices. Value of the dollar has In
creased neArly Is cents, govern
ment records show. The dollar Il
worth approximately 55~cedts com
pared with its pre-war 1914 pur-
! chasing power. Two months age
the dollar stood for only 81 cents
Clothing and Sugar Falls.
Kansas City, Mo-, Oct. Is. -
UNITED Press .)-Price reductions
here resulting from the cut started
by Henry Ford runs from 20 to n
per cent on clothing-both for mer
and women. All leading clothing
stores have announced decided re-
ductions and all explain that lower
prices are due to lower wholesale
costs.
Woli1 Bros. leading colthiers, an
nounced a fat cut Of 20 per cent
on everything in the store except
articles on which they had no prfc<
control. This concern stated some
prices we're cut close to cost and
printed q chart showing they wert
selling shoes at approximately q
to so cents profit per pair. Thil
concern also announced Its book
were open to the public to prove it'
assertions.
Sugar is down at some places u
liz cents, while at other stores II
/ cents is asked. Soda fountains ART
cutting . nickel OF Of tho price o.
most mixtures. and the manager o.
the Sweetheart shop, in the fash
ionable residence district, predicts
further cuts due to decrease in cos
Of materials.
Harzfeld's, high class women's
store, advertises suits up to $13'
for SIS. while Klein's offer ultra
smart" suits at $4s. Other store'
are advertising Sensational coa1
sales" and telling OF good buys a
the wholesale markets. Wearing
apparel seems to be the main lint
cutting. outside of the automobile
Eats" Cheaper.
Cleveland, Ohio, Oct 16.-(Unitet
Press. While some commodities
have dropped in prica here. bust
ness men said today that . genuine
Satisfying" drop cannot be ex
pected until there is . decline from
the present level Of wages.
All kinds OF foods IN restaurant!
have dropped from 10 to Is pei
cent. Soft coal dropped 81 per tor
and flour fell $50 on the barre
wholesale, and so cents on the re
tail price.
Groceries IN Reduction.
Chicago. Oct. 1s.-(United Press
commodities here affected BY th'
price cutting wave sweeping th'
country include practically all es
sentials for eating and wearing. &C
cording to merchants today. Com
lmodities which experienced de
clines include:
Butter, down 6 cents; eggs.
cent; potatoes. 80 cents . bushel
sugar, cent . pound; coal. 81
cents to 81 . ton at the mine
/ clothing. 20 to 10 per cent; pianos
| 10 to Is per cent
Sol Westerfeld. large retail gro
Ger. said he believed prices would
70 still lower.
"The food problem II clearing
and the retailers will soon estab
lish prices in proportion to thost
existing before the war;" he said.
u.vv nnAN ~ ANR