Evening star., 1947-08-16
Prices Of Food
.HereContinue
Rise From May
Survey Of Cost Of
Clothing DiscIoses
Little Change LoteIy

Little Change Lately
Prices of many food items in
creased here from May Is to June
Is and have continued to go up
this month, a comparison Of retail
advertisements indicated today.
The survey showed comparatively
Little change in clothing costs in
recent months, with slight drops
noted In prices Of shirts and stock
ings.
Practically all items in the food
and clothing line in Washington
stores, as reflected in newspaper ad-
vertisements, were selling for sub
stantially greater prices than in
1899.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported this week that its con-
SllmerS' price index set new high
record in June, reaching 1871 as
compared with 100 in 1859. The
previous high was 1863 in March.
Food prices increased ~ per cent
between May is and June is, the
bureau stated.
Food Prices Compared.
A comparison between retail food
prices as advertised here in May
and June disclosed the following
general increases:
Chuck roast, 81 cents to 4l-43
cents; ground beef, 35 to 3S cents;
ham, 5355 cents to 67-73 cents;
bacon, IS to SO cents; margarine, IS
to 80 cents: butter, 68 to SO cents:
eggs, $3.50 to 63 cents; American
cheese, % to Is cents; Florida
oranges, 80 to IS cents; peas, % to
Is cents; new potatoes, 10 pounds,
10 to 1923 cents; lettuce, 10 to IL
IL cents; green beans, % to 20 cents;
sugar, As to Al cents.
Among food items advertised at
lower prices on June Is than on
May Is were leg Of lamb, from So
to SO cents: chicken fryers, So to
4S-45 cents; tomatoes, IS to % cents
a package.
Sirloin steak, when available, has
ranged from 63 cents last March to
SO cents today-the same as in June
according to the advertisements.
Bacon Climbs Fast
Some foods sold for more last
March 15 than in May or June, or
fiuctuated in price during that
period. In some instances the price
has shot up this month. The retail
price of bacon was quoted at 60
cents by one large chain store in
March, IS cents in May, SO cents in
June and 73 cents this week.
Veal roast was priced at 81 cents
March Is and 43 cents June IS. But
ter was IS cents last March Is.
Lamb roast was 42 cents in March,
May and June.
Chuck roast was selling at II
cents in some stores last March Is
and was up to 81 cents this week.
One store priced rib roast at 81
cents June Is and 63 cents this
week., The price range in ground
beef since March Is has been from
81 to 45 cents, although the adver-
tised cost May Is was IS cents.
Food advertisements June Is, 1899,
carried the following prices; sirloin
steak, 27-32 cents; chuck roast, Is
cents; rib roast, 81 cents; ham, Is
cents; pork roast, II cents, as COM
pared with 81 cents last June Is
and So cents today; pork chops,
"a cents as compared with SO cents
last June; bacon, Is cents; veal
chops, Is cents; butter, Is cents;
haddock flllets, II cents, as COM
pared with 80 cents last May and
35 cents last June; chicken fryers,
Is cents; American cheese, II cents;
new potatoes. II cents for 10 pounds
as compared with 1923 cents last
June and 20 cents today, and lettuce,
two heads for Is cents as compared
with 1912 cents a head last June.
Nylon Prices Drop.
While comparative prices in cloth
ing were not so readily available
from advertisements, comparison
showed that the same type of mems
oroadcloth shirts which sold for $3.50
last May had dropped to $3.95 in
June. A similar brand sold for
about 50 in June, 1899.
Nylon stockings were priced at
$l.95 last March, $1.55 last May and
June, and $125 this week in a large
department store.
In general, however, suits, hats,
shoes and underwear have shown
no price decreases since earlier this
year and in several instances ap-
parently are more costly. Because
of seasonal advertisements, the May
and June prices of summer suits
and dresses had relatively few price
variations in the larger stores. One
brand of tropical cloth suit was ad-
vertised for $35 to $43 in May and
sells for $38 to SAT today.
In June, 1899, mems felt hats could
be purchased for as low as So. Last
June the range for the same general
type of hat was IS to $3.50. Two
tone shoes, which sold for $3.50 to IS
in 1889, were listed in the neighbor-
hood Of $11 last June. Seersucker
suits sold for as much as $45 this
summer, as compared with prices
of $1l to $40 in 1899. Print dresses
selling for about $3.50 in 1889, were