Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-03-07 | Page 1 | Food Prices Reach High Level Nov. 15

POOD PRICES REACH m LEVEL Ml 15 Since That Time There Has Been Slight Decline; Labor Department Report WASHINGTON, March fi. Pood prices in the United States reached the highest ievel in twenty-four j'ears on November 15, 1913. Since that date there has been a slight decline in prices, though tho average still is well above that ot' a year ago. The department of labor today made' public a report showing the retail prices of the principal articles of food as observed by the government's agents in forty of the most important industrial cities of the country. "Throughout the whole of 1913 high prices prevailed," said the report, ''while the last quarter of the year was a ,period of decline in the prices of twelve of tho fifteen articles of food observed." It further points out that tho decline de-cline was more thau counterbalanced by an advance in the price of eggs to a level never before reached. Por two of tho articles, coriimeal and (Continued on Page Eight.) FOOD PIES REACH HIGH LEVEL ill, 15 (Continued from Pago One.) egg?t the highest price was reached In November. Tho remaining thirteen articles sugar, butter, hens, ilour, sirloin sir-loin steak, round steak, rib roast, bacon, ba-con, ham, lard, pork cpops and potatoes pota-toes -prices wero below the maximum quoted earlier in the year. "When tho price or each ot tho fifteen fif-teen articles is weighed, according to average consumption in workingmcn's families," the statement nhowa, "ro-tail "ro-tail prices wero nt a higher level on November J5, 1013, than at any time during the twenty-four years preceding, preced-ing, when they reached a maximum of 72.S per cent above the average for 1S00 to J8D9, 9 per cent above tho prico on December 15, 1912, nnd 14.5 per cent above the price on Dccember 15, 1011." A further comparison of retail prices on December 15, 1913, with prices on the same date in 1912. dhows thnt twclveof the fifteen rtrticles for which quotations nre given were higher nnd thrco were lower in prices. Potatoe had advanced 13.7 -jter cent; fresh eggs, 21.9 per cent; pork chops, ICS per cent round steak, 13.1 per cent; rib roast, 10 per cent; sirloin steak, S.O per cent; ham, 7.9 per cent; hens, G.7 per cent; cornmcal. O.G per cent; bacon, -1.5 per cent; milk," 1.9 per cent, and lard, .7 per cent. Sugar, however, declined 8.G per cent; butter, 2.9 per cent, and flour, .G per cent. According to a statement ?ucd by tho department of commerce today importations im-portations of foodstuffs show a remarkable re-markable increahe during the deendo from 1903 to 1913. Breadstuffs and meats each quadrupled their imports, and imports of, fruits and nuts roue from 25,0l)0,000 to nearly $50,000,000. Cocoa, crude and prcnared, rose from $10,000,000 to $20,00(1.000. and coffee from $01,000,000 to $105,000,000.