Evening star., 1933-03-19

other auxiliary supplies for the food
industry-and you arrive at an impress
sive total. A leading authority esti-
mates that fully one-half Of the people
now employed in the United States owe
their jobs to the sustained activity Of
the food industry. During 1882 the
production and sale Of foods provided
80 per cent Of the Nations total flow
Of business, though in the boom year
1929 foods bulked only Is per cent Of
the total. And this increase occurred
in the face of heavy reductions in food
prices.
Food Prices Lead Drop.
Food prices have dropped further than
any other item in the cost of living,
according to the analysis completed last
month by the Bureau of Labor Sta
tistics. Between December, 1929, and
December, 1882, the cost Of living de-
clined 1923 per cent in the United States,
while the cost of food alone declined
37.5 per cent Food is the only item
that has been Debated below pre-war
levels. Its retail price now averages 1.3
per cent under that of 1913
A depression survey of retail business
in Pittsburgh showed that while drug
store sales fell 16 per cent and furni-
ture, dry goods, clothing and hardware
sales dropped from 81 to 30 per cent
grocery sales showed only 2 per cent
decline below those of the preceding
year.
And there have been interesting shifts
in demand. Bread has been declining
item in the national menu for many
years, but under the pinch Of shrunken
pocketbooks this tendency has reversed
in certain cities as people substitute the
traditional staff of life" for more costly
foods. But this gain in flour and bread
cannot be said Of the Nation as whole.
was some 100000 barrels less than
1881 production. More than half Of
this is chargeable to the slump in ex-
ports, the rest to the slump In home
buying Thousands Of farm families
have gone back to cornmeal, grits and
other cheap forms of breadstuffs. One
even hears Of home-ground wheat.
Yet the food industry has suffered
fewer financial casualties than the
average of other businesses. There has
been q shrinkage Of about 1000 stores
in the number of units In the big
national chains. The most Of this re-
duction Is a reflection Of the current
tendency to eliminate weak stores and
consolidate into large neighborhood
markets.
All over the country these big mar
kets are arising. A large supermarket
was opened in New Jersey in early
December and within six weeks 1t had
totaled more than $500, 900 sales, equal
ing the operations Of 100 average chain
stores.
Growth In Two Directions.
Another recent development Is the
remarkable comeback Of the tndepend-
ent grocers. They have learned that
they can compete with the chains; have
frightened up their stores, freshened
their wares and adopted chain methods
of promoting sales. Indeed, some 10000
independent grocery merchants have
associated themselves in voluntary
chains for advantageous buying and
selling. This movement, which began
before the depression, has doubled its
number Of stores within three years.
This. then, Is the background Of the
foods must be painted. What Is COM
ing? And how are the food manufac-
turers girding their industry for its next
steps?
c. M. Chester, president Of General
Foods Corporation, pointed to the recent
past as marking out the trends that
will guide the future. Since about
1900" said Mr.. Chester, I'VE have seen
significant growth in two directions:
First, in the demand for food In
convenient packages, standardized In
quality and quantity; second, in the de-
mand for so-called 'perishables
is, fruits, vegetables, meats and fish
each delivered to the consumer in con-
dition as near as possible to that Of its
fresh state.
Rapid advances have been made in
catering to both Of these tendencies. All
sorts Of edibleS are now put up In pack
ages adapted in size to the limited pan
try space Of the modern kitchen.
"The perishables have grown enor-
kmolsly q thR nstiensl diet and now