Montana labor news., 1934-10-18
Survey Of Food
Prices In Butte

The United States Department OF
Labor Bureau OF Labor Statistics in re-
porting on seventy-eight (78) different
commodities for the two weeks period
ending September rs, 1884, shows that
prices in Butte are lower than the Unit
ed States average on twenty-nine (Z9)
articles and above the United States
average on forty-seven (47) different
foods. The prices in Butte for sirloin
steak, round steak, chuck roast, rib
roast and plate beef are either the low
est or among the lowest in the Cities
reported. Which means, OF course that
these items are good items to purchase
as far as the consumer is concerned.
The price of milk is lower in sixteen
Cities than the price charged in Butte
although this Butte price is six tenths
Of a cent below the United States aver
age; regular cream though, which has
a reported price Of 1917 per one half
pint is among the very lowest OF prices
reported for the item. Rolled oats at
"a per b., molasses at 1913 per Is o.,
can and corn syrup at lis per "a o..
can are also among the lowest prices
of any Of the 81 Cities reported on.
Tomato juice, peanut butter, black
eyed peas, lima beans, 10 OF. cans OF
Pork and Beans, sweet potatoes, corn
flakes, wheat cereal, pure lard, vege-
table lard substitutes and salmon, both
pink and red, are either at their peak
cost in Butte or are right up among
the highest cost in the Cities reported.
What happens when some OF these
prices for different commodities are
annalyzed, is interesting. For instance
whenever you stop in to II Of these
way-side fruit stands where a pedler,
with trucks supplying him, is selling
oranges, you never find lemons or
bananas. Now oranges sell in Butte
for o. less than the United States aver
age per dozen, while lemons are sell
ing at 9.8 more per dozen in Butte than
the United States average and the
price of 9.5 per lb. for bananas is the
highest price per ID. Of any of the 81
Cities reported. There is competition
in the sale of oranges in Butte and
vicinity. You find, therefore, that the
price is low. There is no competition
other than that between Wholesale
Houses in lemons and bananas and you
find, therefore, that the price Of these
items is very high. The same thing
holds true in the apple market where
the prices in Butte is three tenths Of
a cent below the United States aver
age.
In white potatoes, Butte pays the
average price of 2 cents per ID. In
sweet potatoes, Butte pays the highest
price in the country, 10 per b., which
price is 10 above the price charged
in Denver, which is about as far from
the sweet potato producing area and
just about as high in altitude.
The reported price for sugar in Butte
is 6.8 per Id. The next highest price
being 6.5 in Memphis, Tennessee. Can
it be that the Great Western Sugar
Company has a monopoly on Beet sug-
ar in this market and that the Cane
Sugar Producers have a monopoly in
the Memphis market. Molases in Butte
at 1913 per can is 81 less than the Unit
ed States average and 1.3 less than the
price of Molasses in Memphis. There
evidently is some competition in the
Molasses and Corn Syrup markets.
These are just a few Of the comparis-
ons that can be drawn from a survey
of these tables furnished by the United
States Government. Just what car be
done about it is up to the consumer to
say, as he is the one hat foots the bill,
lh11t ,r,n fee1 ass1tred that Il ali cnns11m-