Evening star., 1942-07-24
Food Costs Increase
3 Pei. Since Start
OF War in Europe
Rote of Advance Slower,
However, Than During
l914-19l7 Conflict
3, the Associated Press

l9I4-l9H Conflict
3, the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, July 24.-Control
of food prices has become one OF
the most difficult problems OF war
time regulation.
Retail costs Of supplying the din
ner table of city families of moderate
means, as calculated by the Federal
Bureau of Labor Statistics, have
gone up 80 per cent since the out
break of war in Europe.
The job facing the Office of Price
Administration Is to prevent such
a grave upsweep of food prices as
occurred in the First World War.
From August, 1914, until the ar
mistice in November, 1918, the re-
tail costs of feeding the average
American city family jumped 80
per cent and swept right on upward
until June, 1920 At the top, the
bureau figures show, it was up 127
per cent.
This time. We are faring a little
better. The bureaus last index
figure, just issued for mid-June,
shows rise of 80 per cent in "a
months of war. In the previous
war. prices got up about that much
in only 80 months, or just before
American entrance into the conflict.
Rise in 1917 Was Sharp.
Prices jumped sharply after we
entered the conflict, so that after
"a months, or by May, 1917, they
were up At per cent. In April and
May of 1914, the rise was about IA
per cent. But this time our declar-
alton of war had less effect. For
last December and January the rise
was less than per cent.
But the problem is that prices have
continued to rise. From January to
June, they went up nearly 7 per
cent. The mid-June figure, despite
the fact some food prices had been
put under control was up 1.3 per
cent over mid-May. If prices con-
tinued to rise at that rate, and the
war lasted the same length of time
as the last one, the Armistice would
see them up about 55 per cent over
August, 1889. OF course, this is a
mere conjecture, for the war may
last a longer or shorter time. prices
may be checked, or might be per-
mitted to rise more rapidly.
1t Is notable that in this war, the
violent month-to-month fluctuations
that occurred in the last war have
been avoided.
Also. administration controllers
have thus far not found 1t feasible
to regulate all food prices. At the
beginning of the price ceiling effort,
the general theory was that such
things as fresh fruits and vegetables
were so dependent upon local wealth.
er and supply conditions that price
regulation would not work but that,
In general, packaged and packed
foods could be controlled.
Congress Rejects Subsidies.
The OPA considered granting a
subsidy where necessary to keep
packers going, should farm prices
rise to the point that they could
not do business under the retail
price ceiling. But so far Congress
has turned thumbs down on SUBJ
sides. The OPA has found it nec-
essary to permit a Is per cent boost
on ceilings for canned and dried
fruits. Some packers now say the
meat ceiling is not permitting them
to operate and is responsible for
shortages in some cities.
On the other hand, the Agricul-
ture Department has been striving
to increase production of meats ano
dairy products to meet the demands
for lease lend and feeding oul
growing military forces. Some in.
crease in prices of such items ap-
pears to have been considered de.
sirable to stimulate production
For instance, the Agricultural
Marketing Administration boosted
the price at which it was supporting
wholesale butter at Chicago by
cents pound this week.
Statisticians point out that ir
control of cost of living, food price.
are only one item. The National In.
dustrial Conference Board, in it.
index OF living costs for wage
earners, gives food 80 per cent o.
the average family budget. AS in.
comes increase, the percentage re-
quired for food alone becomes
smaller in the family budget. Th'
conference boards cost Of living
index since August. 1899, has in.
creased only a little over IS pei
cent. The index of average hourly
wage rates for factory workers has
risen more than 80 per cent in The
rArind