Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-09-15
PRICE Of CHICKEN
HIGHEST IN D. c.
Product Is Only One of 16
Food Items to Show Drop
in Other Cities.

A survey of retail food prices by the
Agricultural Adjustment Administration
revealed today that the cost of chicken
is higher in Washington than IN any OF
the Al municipalities investigated.
Despite the relatively high price OF
chicken here, this product was the only
one of Is important food items reported
on to show a decline in retail price
throughout the country according to the
survey.
The cost of chicken to the consumer
dropped from a national average OF 81 3
cents on February Is last, to POT cents
a pound as of August is.
The general survey, it was announced
by Dr. Fred C. Howe, consumers coun-
sci for the administration, revealed that
farmers apparently are getting more
money out of increased retail costs, but
still are below the desired parity with
industry.
Farm Prices Increase.
DR.. Howe declared consumers In
cities where certain food items are
listed above the average might well
ask their distributors why they must
pay more than consumers pay else
where for these essentials"
DR.. Howe reported At per cent In
crease in farm prices between February
Is and August Is. His analysis said
prices on things the farmer buys ad-
vanced II per cent in the same period.
Taking the 190914 periods as 100
Howe said the increase put the August
IS index of farm prices at 70 as against
1l2 for what the farmer purchases.
While we have reduced the gap be-
tween these two prices Howe COM
mented. I'VE are still long way from
parity in prices for farmers.
Generally, the farmers are getting
the benefit of the extra money con-
sumers are paying out"
From a study of Al municipalities,
Howe listed variations in retail prices
paid for the same foods.
Control May Be Necessary.
DR.. Howe warned that If improved
prices are not maintained on products
over which there is no control as to
production and marketing. 1T may be
necessary to extend control arrange
ments' to them. He added that for
this reason we are watching every
move of these prices"
The product and the city in which
the various products were said to be
sold for the highest price were an
nounced as follows:
Butter, Portland, Me-; cheese, Bridge
port, Conn; milk Bridgeport and New
Haven; eggs, Boston; chicken, Wash
ington. D. c.; leg of lamb, Cincinnati;
pork chops. Los Angeles and San Fran
cisco; flour, Philadelphia; lard. San
Francisco, potatoes and rice, Dallas;
prunes, Springfield, ILL.,; canned peas,
No. @ Bridgeport; bread. Scranton.
Saying that lin most cases the ad-
iy, tot
been almost fully reflected in higher
prices to farmers" DR.. Howe added
that "if the improved prices and de-
mand for farm produces continue, these
extra pennies from consumers are ex-
pected to add more than billion dol
lars to the farmers gross income above
what they got last year."
Analyze Price Changes.
Fifteen of 16 representative foods re-
ported on, DR.. Howe said, show higher
prices to consumers on August IS than
on February Is"
I'VE have analysed changes in the
farm prices of 10 of these and find
consumer prices has changed only
slightly if the amount of the processing
tax on wheat go cents a busheD il
deducted from the margins on foul
products. This tax will eventually bs
used for the benefit of the wheat
grower"
The average retail prices of the othel
IS products on February Is and August
/ Is were listed as follows:
Butter, 24.8 and 27.2 cents pound
cheese, 21.3 and 1856; milk, 1913 ane
1913 cents a quart; eggs, ola and u.s.:
cents a dozen; round steak. 24:2 ant
26.5 cents a pound; leg of lamb, 81
and 22.4; pork chops, 17.6 and 1877
flour, 20 and 40; bread, ga and 76
lard, IT and 100; potatoes, is ant
IS; macaroni, 146 and ISIS; rice, ST.
and Ga: prunes. SO and 1913; canned
peas, No. 2, 1875 and 1870 per can.