Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-04-02 | Page 5 | Butter Prices are Given Hammering

BUTTER PRICES ARE GlIEIJiflERlS Retail Quotations Lowered 10 Cents by Bear , Activity. Saturday and yesterday bears on the local produce market conducted a successful suc-cessful foray against butter, and succeeded suc-ceeded in battering1 the retail price down 10 cents. The price per pound for butter but-ter of the best creamery class at the close of the drive yesterday was 45 cents. The market opened Saturday at 55 cents per pound. But while the bears were thus diversely diverse-ly engaged, the enemy conducted a drive on a larger and more important scale, attacking in force the retail meat market through the wholesale end. The net result re-sult of this massed attack was an advance ad-vance of from 2 to 5 cents per retail pound of beef, according to the cut desired. de-sired. The drive against the retail meat market mar-ket yesterday is said to bo only the beginning be-ginning oi" an important offensive, which is expected to finally net the packers a gain of nearly 5 cents per pound for -beef carcases. Saturday the ruling price per pound, wholesale, for beef was 17 cents. Yesterday the price was boosted to IS cents per pound. "We are promised a further increase at the hands of the packers within a week," said one of the managers on market row yesterday. He could offer-no offer-no reasonable excuse for the increased price. Some of the wholesalers declare they are being held up by the beef raiser, who is said to be demanding from $11.50 to $11.75 per hundred pounds on hoof for beef cattle. This price, the packers savls beyond all reason, and much higher high-er than has ever yet btien asked. While there is a plentitude of pork on the local market, this class of meat, in sympathy with beef, took a flight. Sat- j urday's wholesale price for pork was 22J,& cents per pound wholesale. Yesterday it went up to 2ZV3 cents. Lambs on Saturday Sat-urday were quoted at 25 cents ier pound, wholesale; yesterday, 26 cents. Eggs are displaying some strength at 40 cents per dozen for strictly fresh grades, the commission men charging $11.50 per thirty-dozen case, as against $10.50 per case asked by ranchers. Commission Com-mission men's claims that, there is a shortage of the product in XTtah are not substantiated by crop reports, which indicate in-dicate the UtalA hen Is moro numerous this year than ever before, and is doing her duly right patriotically. Reports indicate in-dicate that city-owned hens are 35 to 40 per cent more numerous than a year ago, with nil establishing laying records. Laying hens of quality strains are fetching from $2 to 2.50 each on the rialto, while the commonest sort of scrub stock is being readily sold at $1.50 each. Retailers complain no little over the recent boost in the price of oranges. Never In the history of the Salt Lake retail re-tail fruit market have oranges been as high in price as at present, some of the vendors being ashamed to label their top stock. A case containing 250 oranges yesterday wholesaled at $7. A year ago a case of this size would have wholesaled at from $2.50 to $2.75. Shortage of the California crop is given as the reason. Bailey's chick feed will save the chicks. Order today. Bailev & Sons Co., 63 East Second South. Was. 3535. (Advertisement.)