The New York herald., 1922-11-26
THANKSGIVING MEAL
COSTLIER This YEAR
Best Hope for Housewife Is
/ Last Minute Tumble in
Turkey Prices.
BIRDS ARRIVING FAST
Meat Council Says Scarcity
at Source Tends to Fur
ther Rise.
- - s|
TRIMMINGS ALSO HIGHER
Russia Comes to Relief With
Cranberry Ship and Puts
'S5aucc Cost Down.
TRIMMINGS ALSO HIGHER

r. The THANKSGIVING dinner VIII cost
i New York considerably more this year
/, than in 1921 unless turkeys and their
menu accompaniments do "a Humpty-
! Dumpty Stunt in the next few days
and instead of the usual rise before
| the holiday take a big tumble from
4 prices quoted yesterday.
4 Whether or not. drop in prices can
come through a possible Cutting Of
tho market with produce tomorrow
and Tuesday was an open question
! with dealers yesterday. Opinions were
] expressed both that prices would be
4 lower and that they would be higher
!, by Wednesday. Other merchants ad-
\ mitted that the price antics of the
Thanksgiving bird have them guessing
and they cannot forecast what trend
quotations might take.
! Turkey sold on the Wholesale market
at S. and 81 cents yesterday. The
produce was bought largely by butchers
and grocers from nearby towns. who
are accustomed to get their euppi;es
! in New York, Most of the local
butchers will not buy until Monday and
Tuesday. IL was said, and IL Is these
I days which will decide the market
trend ~s.L -frr ~.
Late Receipts Heavy.
Receipts of turkeys up until yester-
daX> were unusually light, presumably
< because the produce was held back by
shippers to obtain greater profits.l The
birds began arriving in heavy quanti-
ties yesterday morning. however. and
many dealers believe that the market
will be swamped in the next two days.
resulting in lower instead OF higher
prices. /.
saturdays high prices simply mean
that turkeys have been held at shipping
points and have been scarce heye," said
: j. q. Foy, publisher of The Daily Mar
Ret Report. "But the fowls have al
! ready started coming in numerous car
loads. The great bulk-wfli arrive Mon-
day and Tuesday. and by Wednesday the
prices will be lower than Saturdays
quotations"
On the other hand the Meat Council
of New York issued a statement yester-
day asserting that turkeys will be high
In price and theA supply OF choice birds
WIN be limited. The fowls already arc
scarce on the market IL was said. and
fore Thursday. Consequently. the coun-
ell averred, there Is nothing to indicate
drop in price, while an Increase Is
more probable.
"a canvass of the situation shows
only small supplies Of turkeys coming
into the New York market, with prices
stIff all along the line" the council said
zone prominent wholesale distributor
with thirty branches had this week only
f~ 90 fttrlf 10. On r.
/ vices from Texas and Missouri, the two
principal turkey growing States. indicate
! a scarcity of first class birds.
/ IF New York housewives generally
should decide to buy no turkeys. col
! lapse In prices is conceivable, but just
now there is no indication OF this. There
Is every reason, therefore, to believe that
the Thanksgiving dish will cost the
housewife stiff price. unless she Is
willing to substitute. There are abun-
dant supplies OF poultry, beef. smoked
ham and corn fed porkers on the mar
ket. and these are excellent substitutes
for turkey Many of the sretail members
of the Meat Council are frankly advising
their customers to make such purchases"
Turkeys were quilted yesterday by re-
tail merchants at from 65 to 80 cents
a pound. depending on the condition OF
the produce and the section from which
II had como. Maryland turkeys sell AT
a premium. The retail price of tur-
Keys on the Saturday before Thanks
giving last year ranged from SO to 50
cents. On the corresponding day In
1920 the price hovered around 20 cents,
rising steadily until Thursday.
Prices on other Foods.s
Big roast chickens were quoted at 40
cents retail and fancy ducklings at 3S
cents. Smoked ham was priced at 40
60 60 cents, and country dressed pigs
about 40 cents.
Cranberries will be two or three cents
n pound less than last year owing to
heavy receipts. retail dealers said. Ship
ments from foreign countries last week
included shipload OF cranberries from
Russia. Stock efrom this country hith-
orto has been neglected because of It's
softness and poor quality.
Celery, another requisite OF the
Thanksgiving menu. was quoted by
wholesale dealers at an advance OF 80
cents TO 81 over prices for last year~
when 1t soldsat s. TO $3.50 crate. Re-
10. prices will be corrcspondingly
higher this week.
Wholesale butter prices advanced
, about 2 cents last week. Best creamery
grades we're selling yesterday at 52is to
81 cents n pound wholesale. The price
last year was as to rs cents. Approx
natcly 100000 pounds Of butter are In
cold storage as against 100000 a year