The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-12-17
GROCERIES AND
 MEAT PRICES ON
 SHARP DECLINE


 New york, Dec. s17-The nation | wide price cutting wave has resulted in a general reduction in groceries and meats of not more than 20 per cent, according to figures tabulated here recently.
 But a. general move to scale down prices still further on foodstuffs is afoot. /I
 John H. Meyer, secretary of the New York State Retail Grocers' As call a convention of representatives of all factors and agencies in this country engaged in the food industry -producer,e manufacturers, whole saler and retailer. The object of this meeting will be to find the best means of scaling down prices all along the line.
 The business concerns which will be invited to this meeting, Meyer said, represent an investment of fifteen billion dollars. Farmers, millers, su- gar refiners, .breahfaSt-food makers, meat packers, stockmen, wholesale represented.
 The nucleus for this meeting will be the New York State Retail Gro cers' Association with 1S,ooo mem the food indus>y will be asked to CO., operate in giving the nation an ex- ample in lower prices and better un- derstanding The retail dealers will
 
 lie benefits of wholesale reductions.
 Holding Up Prices.
 However, a canvass of New York stores showed that many grocers still had on hand goods purchased at peak prices, that they had not cut prices on them in conformity with whole sale replacement costs, and that they h6pf n6ped d tt, to dispose TIT, of them in the argued, was the same in most other retail lines.
 Mir. Meyer said one of the objects of the proposed convention would be to impress upon the retailer the neces- slty of reducing his prices at once and taking his losses on peak price, goods still on his shelves He has urged that action in the Retail Gro cerS' Advocate, of which he is editor.
 Wheeler grocers and meat markets nave passed along to the consumer all the wholesale price reductions has been difficult to ascertain as gen. ing at various stores on similar arti- cles. But H. M. Foster, secretary and general manager of the Whole sale Grocers' Association, estimates that wholesale prices have been re- duced 25 per cent.
 Just what reductions the manu- lecturers have given the wholesalers has been diBcuEt to ascertain. Bu. at the proposed meeting of all in- terests it is hoped to ascertain what these reductions have"been and there by get a working basis for further cuts that will react to the consumers benefit.
 High Cost of Eating
 But, at any rate, the high cost of eating has begun to slide. The de- cline in New York retail food prices Reserve Banks figures, amounted to Fl per cent. from the years high level. Yet present prices are ss per cent. higher than in 1913.
 These figures differ from those tab ulated by Mrs Louise Reed Welzmil- Ter, Deputy Commissioner of Public Markets, which show a 90 per cent increase in food prices since 1913, half of which has been overcome by falling prices. But her figures are based on prices at city markets, which serve only a small per cent. of the municipal population and are located Nln the tenement sections.
 A retail grocery store in a middle. class neighborh hood-Columbus ave- nue and Ninety third street-shows reductions of p per cent. in it's goods, as follows:
 Price Comparisons.
 Best bulk coffee, peak price .49 now AZ; best bulk tea, peak price 70, now 50; sugar, peak price .31, now 10 and II; fresh eggs, peak price $1.25, now s1.o5; lard, peak price 37, now .31; milk (second grade, quart), peak price 21, now .19; potatoes, 6 lbs. (Long Tsland), peak price .75, now .25; Maine potatoes, 1bs., peak price, .75, now .25; yellow onions, peak price, .0s, now .05; white onions, peak price, .15, now or; parsips, peak price, 3 for IS, now 10; cabbage per head, peak price, 50, now .15; carrots a lb. peak price .12, now .08; beets a bunch, peck price, .12, now, or; spinach per quart, peak price, .25, now 10; white turnips quart, peak price, .25, now .15; celery per bunch peak price .35 to 40 now 30; canned peas, peak price IS to .25, now same; canned tomatoes peak price IS to 30, now 10 to 5; camel corn, peak price 12 1-2 to .23, now same; canned string beans, peak price IS to .35 now same; long asparagus, peak price | .3S to .52, now .35 to .49.
 Butcher shops have varied their price cuts, one making only a per cent. cut, although serving a work l ing-class neighborhood, while another i located on Broadway near Ninety sixth street, showed price cuts of 16 per cent. follows: In Meat Markets.
 Prime rib roast beef, peak price AZ, now .34; chuck beef, soup or stew peak price .34, now .25; round steak, peak price AZ, now .36; flank steak, l peak price AZ, now '.35; porterhouse, peak price .46, now .36; loin lamh | chops, peak price .52, now .45; veal outlets, peak price .56, now .52; pork l chops, peak price AS to .52, now .36; | leg of lamb, peak price, AZ, now 40; l smoked ham peak price IA, now .35 roasting chicken, peak price .52, now