Evening star., 1943-08-13
Many Areas Report
No Noticeable Decline
In City Food Prices
Housewives, Dealers and
OfficioIs Toke Exception
To Federal Report

That Labor Department report OF
a decline in food prices in cities
sounded as pleasant as shower in
a drought, but an unofficial survey
showed today it didn't soak in with
lot of the customers.
Many persons in different parts of
the country said they had not dis
cerned any per cent decrease, as
the department reported for the
fundamentally period. 1t may
have been because their areas were
not affected by the reported decline.
or because they haven't been buying
the items said to have lessened h.
cost.
One Washington explanation
from Joseph B. Danzansky, repre-
sentative of the National Indepen-
dent Poultry Council and the Ma
tional Association of Non-Slaugh-
tering Meat Professors and Whole
salers-was that the Labor Depart
ments figures failed to reflect the
black market prices that consumers
in many cases are paying for food.
Calls Decline Small.
Views of the biggest food Gus
tomers-the restaurant operators
were expressed by Robert j. Wilson,
executive secretary of the Washing
ton Restaurant Association. Retail
food prices may have declined the
reported 2 per cent. but this is just
drop in the bucket Mr.. Wilson
said, adding that unless there Is a
further reduction, and a major one,
restaurant operators won't be able
to hold the line" on prices of meals.
A restaurant association survey
showed that in the year ended last
April prices of the 100 most COM
monty used foods increased 42.7 per
cent in Washington, Mr.. Wilson
pointed out.
An official OF the United Fresh
Fruit and Vegetable Association also
said the Labor Departments figures
might have been correct, but ex-
planned that so far as fruits and
vegetables are concerned, price
decrease nearly always occurs be-
tween mid-June and mid-July, when
many crops are placed on the mar
ket. Prices of most fresh fruits and
vegetables are now even lower, he
said, but are likely to fuctuate
rapidly, depending on the weather.
A Memphis housewife suggested
that the Labor Department was
mistaken. She said: Il think
they'd better check their statistics
again; prices keep getting higher
and higher
Vegetables Advanced.
Comments on Secretary of Labor
Perkins announcement of a decline
in food prices included the following
from key cities:
New Orleans - President LLOYD
Keller OF that city's retail grocers'
association said that while meat
prices dropped So per cent In the
period covered, fresh fruits and
vegetables gained l2.7 per cent.
Outside Of cabbage. everything else
in the grocery line has had a stiff
advance" he said.
Columbus, Ohio-Representative
Vorys, Republican. of Ohio said he
had talked with hundreds of con-
sumers and distributors and hasn't
heard any expression to bear out
those figures" He said they were
"a complete surprise to me" as "the
trend is toward rising costs"
Pittsburgh-"Yes,' said cooper
ative broker, there might have
been decrease. Look how the
cost of potatoes has dropped -
Leonard r. P. Bresci of the Ale
gheny County Consumers Council
accepted the cost of living report
but said he believed it probable that
there would be "5 to 10 fold in
crease in the next few months"
Saw No Price Drop.
Richmond, Va.-Frank w. Whit
lock, manager of an association OF
independent grocers Il haven't
seen any cutback in prices. I wish
| they'd prove to me that prices are
dropping"
Los Angeles-Sam White, execu-
tive secretary of the Southern Cali
fornia Retail Grocers' Association,
having 1,400 stores. said that "ex-