Evening star., 1922-07-26
SEE PRICE RISE
| ON STRIKE PLEA,
DESPITE PLENTY
Department of Justice Told
of Gouging Efforts by
Dealers.
NO DELAY OF FREIGHT
AT ALL, BURNS LEARNS
Chief of Investigation Finds Mar
ket Literally Flooded
With Foods.

ket Literally Flooded
With Foods.
With the Washington market liter
ally flooded with perishable foodstuffs
and other commodities, several retail
ers have taken advantage OF the rail-
road strike as an excuse to boost
prices. according to reports made to-
day to the Department OF Justice.
William ]. Burns. chief of the bureau
OF investigation of the department
has been informed of these instances
for investigation.
One specific case called to the att
tention Of the department concerned
delicatessen store proprietor in
watermelons at 81 apiece. or 30 cents
more than he charged for the same
fruit last week. When questioned as
to the cause of the sudden price IN
crease, this dealer claimed that ne
had been unable to buy melons on the
ability of the railroads to get food
stuffs into the city.
"No Delay whatever"
On the other hand, freight agents
Of the big railroads operating into
Washington claim that there has been
no delay whatever in the arrival of
commodities Of any kind and that in
creases in the price Of foodstuffs on
the grounds that shipments are not
reaching the city are unreasonable
and unjustiflable.
w. w. Bowie, freight agent Of the
Pennsylvania railroad and local rep
resentative for the Atlantic Coast
Line Seaboard, Southern, Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Potomac and the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroads, said
that more foodstuffs have arrived in
the District over the roads he repre-
sents in the last three weeks than in
many years. shipments of perishable
foodstuffs from the south, he said' are
very heavy"
There has been no delay in the
modities Of any description" declared
Mr. Bowie. "and I think the public
should know it,"
Conmodities On Schedule.
d. M. Fisher. freight agent OF the Bal
timore and Ohio railroad. also said that
there has been no noticeable delay In
the consignments Of foodstuffs to Wash
ington over this road. Egga, butter
and other commodities froM tne oSsS TsS.; :
.-of course" he said. ..-there has .bsen
| n delay OF one or two hours, Dat we
attach no Importance to this. and II
can hardly be attributed TO tns a, ran.I
| freight conditions, Mr.. Fisher declared
that the shipments are coming In
| nicely"
Mr. Fisher emphasized. are coming into
washington on all trains. The freight
Yards he said, are now filled with cars
containing fruit.
Wholesale merchants at the Center
market likewise said they had ex-
perienced no delay in receiving ship
ments of foodstuffs, and positively de-
clared that their prices have NOT oeeh
raised. A survey of the wholesale
market showed an abundance OF
peaches, watermelons. tomatoes. corn
and other seasonable vegetables.
Complains OF Dimculty.
| One large retailer. however, said
that the effect of the railroad strike
was being felt by him. and ne was
having difficulty in obtaining ship
ments of commodities. especially
meats. This dealer claimed that con
sumers who want good stun" would
undoubtedly have to pay premium
| for it," although he emphasized that
there is no justification for big In
creases in the price of foodstuHs.
Vegetables. he declared. are mot 50
hard to get from the north and
.outh." but shipments of meat from
| the meat centers are belated and
| coming in slowly.
| Despite the mine and railroad
strikes, the local railroad freight
agents pointed out that coal is ar
riving in Washington. Mr.. Bowie
said that "a good deal" of bituminous
coal for Washington propE had ar
| rived recently over the roads he rep
resents, and between twenty-five and
thirty cars of river wash" or pea
coal had come into the city from
Pennsylvania.
MEAT AT WAR PRICES.
Declared to be due to the prevailing 9
! Industrial condition, choice steaks
and high grade roasts have reached
a peak price, comparable with those
in vogue during the war period, !!
was discovered today after makins
a round of representative wholesale
| and retail meat dealers.
4 Milady, IL she has marketed this
| week, will agree that for a porter.
house steak she must pay % or oe
cents a pound. depending on the trim
while a roast ranges from rs to 80
cents the pound. with a decided lean
ing to the latter rate. These prices
Are from 5 to 10 cents higher than
those she had been paying.
the bureau of markets experts. In
| commenting on the increased cost ol
high-grade meats today. said he haI
noticed the upward trend for the
! past six days and that he believed
the market would be controlled from
now on by the developments In the
strike situation.
Lamb Chops Mt % Cents
Il have noticed uptown" Mr.. Whaler
said, that lamb chops are In soms
cases selling as high as 80 cents tn,
pound However, these are exceptionally
well trimmed and the average price.
would say. is 20 cents.
1T Is noteworthy that the presen
peak prices Of high grade cuts hay'
hit Washington and Boston PRACTICAL,
TO the exclusion Of other cities."
Commenting on this situation. one o
the largest meat retailers In the cit.
called attention to the natural result
which must follow the Increase Of Low
grade coal from 81 the ton to 50 am
S1O (. O. b. as It is quoted today.
The sharp price upturn on strictll
choice and prime beef steers. accord
I.inr to the latest report of the De
partment of Agriculture on the sub
iect. is the outstanding event OF tn
live stock trade during the week end
ing July 15.
The>result has been. the report con
, tinues, that new high marks for tn
wear were scored at most of the pri
mary markets and severe declines
, prices Of packing and heavy mike
hogs. The strike of railway work
, ers has apparently had little :.pprs
lciable effect on the marketvard move
lment, of live stock or dressed meat Z
Asfa it was stated ofiicialiy.. -