Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-08
HIGHER BEEF PRICE
IN D. c. IS SUBJECT
OF NEW INQUIRY
Department of Justice viii
Investigate - Campaign
Revived by Women.

ington are unjustified, the Depart
ment Of Justice believes. and an in
vestigation of the increases in retail
meat prices here within the last
few weeks has been ordered The re-
suit of the inquiry by special agents
of the department will be announced
within short time.
Washington is suffering with other
cities. from inflated beef prices. The
Department of Justice bases its belief
that these prices are unjustified on
the fact that demand for meat de-
creases in the summer. the supply in
creases and the result should lower
prices. This summer the reverse has
been true. and, although explanations
are offered by the packers, they are
not believed sufficient by Department
of Justice officials TO warrant higher
prices.
Advice for Housekeepers.
Washington housekeepers were ad-
vised today by Miss. Edith c.. Straus.
directing women's activities in the
Department of Justices campaign to
lower the high cost of living, to cut
down their purchases of meat to
minimum and buy homegrown
vegetables A decrease in the de-
mand for meat will result in lower
price for that commodity. she said.
and the present is an excellent time
to replace meat with vegetables.
which are plentiful and comparatively
cheap in the Washington market.
Buy cheaper cuts of meat and
spend more time in their preparation,
Miss Straus said. and instead of pur-
chasing food shipped here to Wash
ington from distant points. buy vege-
toll lac N
which there are many"
Home gardening is an excellent
means of obtaining these vegetables.
Miss Straus said, but there are many
instances where gardens at home are
impossible, and those who have delay
ed planting. until now can do nothing
along this line.
There are products sent to the
Washington market from Maryland
and Virginia. just outside the District,
which. at this season of the year. are
plentiful and cheap. she said. Replac-
ing meat by vegetables VIII De Iound
cheap, and at this time of year VIII
prove healthful. said Miss Straus.
There is no doubt that the demand
for the better grades of meat has In
crea sed the price, Miss Straus said, and
it was III an effort to decrease this de-
mand by interesting the consumer IN
cheaper cuts of meat that the Depart
mpnt OF Justice ShSdPSi
meat" campaign recently.
Program Is offered.
An independent cheaper meat cam-
paign, together with a less meat. more
vegetable program, is recommended by
Miss Straus as the first step Washing
tonians should take in bringing about a
reduction of prices here.
1t was pointed out that prices for
clothing and wearing apparel have fall
I =. a1 dfrIa
partly to adverse-for the dealer
weather conditions, and partly because
of less buying on the part of the pub
lie Stop buying meat and the price
will come down Immediately, Miss
Straus advises.
Il know nothing of the circumstances
governing the increased price for
beef" Miss Mary O'Toole, president of
the Women's City Club, said today.
but / thoroughly agree with Miss
Straus that what we should do is to
decrease our consumption. thus de-
creasing the demand for the COM
modify.
Regardless of what the Department
of Justice has to say. or regardless of
what it can do, L believe the high
prices are due to the law of supply
and demand. We all want the same
thing, and we. therefore, pay the price.
1t is true of meat as it is true or
everything else.
I'VE decrease our consumption of
meat and the demand lessons, the sup
ply Increases and prices Will take care
of themselves"
Dealers Explanation.
Washington meat dealers explain
the increased cost of beef here by the
failure on the part of the pubic TO
buy the lower-priced cuts. These cuts
in some instances are practically GO
k,as~ 1x.tsr
market value. they claim, and il
cheaper meat We're bought the higher
priced cuts would come down. Dressed
beef advanced nearly 29 per cent in
June over the May prices. it is stated.
and the increase is explained by an
advance of 20 per cent in live cattle
and a decrease of 20 per cent in tie
value of packing-house by-products.
Miss Strsus said today that the re-
cent cheaper meats campaign In
Washington convinced her that the
claim of the butchers that people
We're eating all steak" and no cheap
er meat. was well founded. The re-
suits of the campaign are interesting
1t was found that in districts where
the more well-to-do residents lived
there was a desire to cooperate with
the Department of Justice, and many
women cook ed meat which they never
knew before existed.
On the other hand. in residential
sections where day laborers lived II
was found that no effort to co-operate
was made. These families, IL is
claimed. continued to buy steak and
rib roasts because the meat was easier
and quicker to cook, because the
to buy it was there ana De-
cause the workingman." when he
came home at night. wanted his steak
or chops and was not willing to fore
go il for a return to what he had been