Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-04
GROCERY PRICES
ARE COMING DOWN
Drops in Raw Commodities
Reflected in Cuts to UIti.
mate Consumer.
BY JOHN A. CRoNE.
patch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, March with the
bulls and bears battling in the wheat
pit and around the cotton ring, the de-
cline in commodity prices and conse-
uuently in the cost of living naturally
is becoming as lively topic of CONVEX
sation as base ball prospects, golf SCORES
and the heavyweight championships.
Although IS out of 80 staple world
commodities or the raw or crude class
show declines when compared with
either a year ago or last September,
the retail prices of such articles have
come down, in many instances, so
gradually that the ultimate consumer
has barely noticed the reduction.
West of Pittsburgh and west of
Kansas City the situation seems to be
the same as in regions east of Phila-
delphia-namely, that various stores
and chains are contesting for the lead
IN reducing retail prices.
May Mean Better Merchandise.
E. G.. Yonker of Washington, head of
a large grocery chain, points out that
better values may mean "either lower
prices on the same merchandise or
better merchandise for the same prices"
He saws the chains have to keep their
capital moving, which makes them
watch slow-rnoving merchandise. They
buy direct, which places them close to
the source of production.
Chain stores here have reduced the
price of coffee, butter, eggs, flour, bread
and tea. Meats are somewhat lower.
Lamb is quoted this week about cents
a pound below its quotation year
ago.
Some canned fruits and vegetables
are a little higher, however, than a
year ago. These include California
products, which were hit by the early
frost last year. In this line are fancy
fruits and vegetables. Standard quail
ity goods, such as corn, peas and to-
matoeS, are a trif1e lower, but extra
fancy brands of these vegetables as
well as asparagus and similar fancy
goods are somewhat higher.
Out where the w st begins the prices
of everyday table necessities are NOV
ing lower. This trend perhaps has not
been noticed, because, like in the East
or Far West or South, reductions have
been made at the rate of l or cents
at a time. In some commodities there
have been five price reductions since
last October
Consumers are receiving the full
benefit of the decline in commodity
prices" William H. Alberts, president of
TIE second largest grocery cnalO IN the
world, said today, in commenting on
the decline in the cost of living. Con
Sumers are taking full advantage of
those staple items which have been re-
duced most in price. This sort of buy
ing enables consumers to purchase the
most volume for their money"
Butter Much Cheaper.
The biggest reductions in the Middle
West have taken place in butter, which
Is down II cents pound since October
!, 1929; eggs, which are 20 cents a dozen
lower, and coffee, which is down IL
cents a pound.
The percentage of declines in retail
prices on some of the leading staples
noted by Mr. Alberts since October
follows: Dried beans, % per cent; but
ter, 20 per cent; eggs, 40 per cent; cof-
fee, 80 per cent for popular-priced brands
and % per cent for leading brands;
sugar, 81 per cent; flour, Is per cent,
and dried fruit, Is per cent
Leading department stores, like the
chain organizations, have been quick to
reduce grocery quotations. Thus a sur
vey Of leading department stores here
shows cut of cent pound in sugar,
10 cents in coffee and Is cents in a
24-pound sack of flour from their price
list Of August /, 1929.