Evening star., 1923-05-25
APPEALS TO SAVE
I...SHR|NE VISITORS
n FROM GOUGERS
sEKeep Good Name of Ma.
tionaI Capital" Conyen-
i ton Committee Asks.

In the face of formal admissions
from numerous Washington food
dealers that they have raised the price
of their products on the eve of Shrine
week. the central committee at Shrine
headquarters pushed with relentless
vigor today its war against increased
prices here during the rush OF the
next two weeks.
Appealing to the civic pride of the
city's business men. the food COM
mittee has addressed letters to every
substantial commercial house IN
Washington asking them to withhold
the imposition of increased prices
'for the sake of our National Capt.
tails good name" Should this APP
peal fail. ii was stated. the Shrine
will use summary methods to make
price raising decidedly improbable
here during the sessions of the I'm.
perial Conclave.
Meat Prices Advance.
One of the most disturbing reports
that reached Shrine headquarters to-
day was the formal announcement
from meat dealers that there would
be an increase of l or 2 cents
Immediately. The dealers explained
the increase by declaring that the
costs Of fresh meats always go up at
TINS season and consequent addition
must be made to the retail price.
In reply to this. Harry Standiford
executive secretary of the central
committee, declared that the Shrine
omclals must frown upon an increase
In the price of any article at this
time. The country has been told"
Noc nj
preparing to gouge its visitCrs--to
eNtort unreasonable prices / appeal
to. the civic pride of Washington
business men to prove those state
price of single article and save the
good name of our National Capital"
Explain Ice Cream Increase.
Two members of the firm of Chap
Sacks Corporation, ice cream manu-
facturers, called on Mr.. Standiford
today and submitted figures In ex-
planation of the increased price of
Ice cream. They asserted that even
lose money on their Ice cream. be-
cause of the high cost of sugar and
labor.
The companys officers called on Mr..
Standiford in response to the follow
ing letter, written by the executive
secretary:
I'VE have been informed through
the citizens committee. by various
ton Restaurant Association that ef-
tectlve Tuesday of this week you
nave increased the price of your ice
cream 20 cents per gallon. Upon In
quiry 1t was stated that this increase
was due to the increase Of the cost
of ingredients and the increases In
labor, effective May / and June 1.
1t is regretted that this increase
comes at this time, because il is in
n -.
to make the stay of our guests here
as enjoyable as possible. The whole
sale grocery dealers have made re-
auctions in the prices ofstheir articles
in great many instances, the pro-
duce dealers have matntAfned their
price level except in cases of certain
products the price OF which has al
ways increased at this time Of the
year. Milk dealers have made no in
crease and the bakeries have made
no increase in the cost of bread de-
spite the fact that they have recently
given their employees an Increase in
wages. The Washington Restaurant
Association has gone on record that
they. will do everything possible in
the interests of this convention, and
that they will make no increase in
prices.
Fear Taking Advantage.
The above-mentioned increase in
the price of Ice cream should have no
enect on general restaurant prices
throughout the city, and, in fact, Il
will not have among the better
classes of establishments. However,
there are certain proprietors Of eating
establishments who are always eager
to find some excuse for greatly In
creasing their prices, and this in
crease In the price of ice cream will
undoubtedly have this effect upon GER
tain restaurant and lunchroom pro-
prtetors. Any material increases in
the prices of eating establishments
yxsf1I r. d.,
the convention, and our guests would
go back home with the idea that we
had dealt unfairly, and had taken ad-
vantage of them when they were
most expensive to US In the future in
every way and would add credence
to the charges previously made about
price gouging at inaugural times. II
is incumbent upon every Washing
tonian, every business and every in
dustry to do their utmost in making
this our greatest civic undertaking
the complete success which 1t should
be. II is not the desire of the com
mittee to see any one conducting a
business during this convention at a
financial sacrifice. but in the interest
of Washington, both at this time and
in the future, we are writing to. ask
you if there is not some way in
which you can arrange to rescind this
price increase until after the con-
Vention, or II you cannot do this. TO
reduce this Increase materially. We
believe, in view of the circumstances,
that whatever profits you may forego
at this time will be more than made
up in the future"
An increase in the price of beef
ranging from q cent to a cent and
half pound was reported today by
dealers at the Center market. No
marked change In the price of Vege-
tables was reported. however.
Blamed ON Scarcity.
The rise In the price of meat, deal
ers emphasized, is not due to the
Shrine convention. but TO a scarcity
which occurs annually between the
latter part of May and early June,
when the season changes from corn
fed stock to milk-fed stock. The in
crease, dealers say. Is general over
the country. No change is expected
in the price of smoked meats.
At this period each year. 1t was ex-
planned, the market changes from
corn-fed to grass-fed stock ana a
scarcity results which brings with II
a slight increase In price. The rise
this year. Is slightly higher than last
year. The price increase in 1898
ranged between one-half and three
quarters Of q cent on the pound
G. w. Kitchen, superintendent OF the
Center market, Is keeping close
check on the fuctuation of prices on
all commodities sold there. A chart
is being compiled today showing pre-
yailtng prices on foodstuffs.