Evening star., 1937-10-10
HOPE SEEN FOR CUT
IN HIGH FOOD COST
Larger Crops This Year
Pushing Prices Down.
Will Lower Meat.

BACKGROUND
A disturbing factor OF the past
teD months has been the upWdrd
trend in the cost OF necessities OF
life, particularly in the food line.
Administration critics haze blamed
conditions on the restricted dgri-
cultural production that Dds put
into effect to bolster farm prices,
and also haze pointed to taxation
as q collateral cause.
b the Associated Press
Administration leaders found two
favorable trends yesterday in their
search for an answer to give angry
housewives, Mayors and Governors
who are demanding that the Federal
Government do something about the
high cost of food.
They said the larger crops har-
vested this year already had pushed
down the prices OF several important
food items, and eventually would re-
duce meat prices. which stand at the
center Of complaints.
Their charts showed the farmer
was getting larger share of the dol
lar spent for food than he has been
getting.
Advisors of Secretary Wallace, who
keep a constant check on retail, mar
ket and farm prices. said retail foods
recently had been about 80 per cent
above the depression low point, but
were still about 20 per cent under the
1929 peak.
1870 Above Depression Costs.
They said the average family now
pays SO go for a basket of food that
cost s8.40 a year ago. During the de-
preston this same amount OF food
cost only S667 but 1t was $1,000 in
1929.
Government data on retail meat
prices indicated these recently were
from 80 to 40 per cent higher than
last year and from so to IS per cent
above the depression low.
Economists said fresh vegetables and
fruits had been cheaper most of this
wear than last, and that these reduc-
tions had partially offset higher meat
costs in the total food bill. Bumper
crops Of potatoes and apples have
led these food price declines.
They estimated that at recent prices
the average laboring mans family
needed 1853 to purchase years sup
ply of the So principal foods. This
compared with S342 last year and
s4l5 in 1929.
Farmer Gets More.
Food costs have risen steadily since
the low of 1854 in 1888. The econ
orists said the average family spent
1926 in 1894 and 1881 in 1885.
At the same time, they said. the
farmers share Of the average dollar
spent for food had increased from 35
cents in 1888 to a cents last month.
The farmers share of the amount
spent by the average laboring man
has increased gradually from $92 in
1888 to s152 last year. At present
prices it will be near $158 this year.
The middle men-who take the
farm products and eventually sell
them to the consumer-also have re-
ceived larger share from the aver
age family. They got sl70 in 1888
and will receive about 5000 this year.
Big Corn Crop to Help.
The cost of good grades OF beef
have brought most protests recently.
Charts showed the cuts from 100
pounds Of live cattle recently brought
the butcher s2o.24, compared with
SSH last year and s12.44 dn 1888.
Sirloin steaks averaged 48 cents
pound recently for the entire country.
compared with % cents during the
depression. Beef roasts were Is per
cent higher this year than last.
This was attributed to short sup
plies of corn-fed cattle and the larger
demand for good beef because Of gen.
ersl business improvement.
The economists said large corn
crop this year would soon increase the
supplies of well-finished cattle and
hogs, with probable resulting re-
duction in retail meat costs.