1917.02.22: FOOD WILL REACH NEW YORK TODAY; WILL PRICE DROP?



February 22, 1917

FOOD WILL REACH NEW YORK TODAY; WILL PRICE DROP?

Retailers Declare There Is Plenty Stored in East But Prices Prohibitive.

SPECULATORS MAY BE FORCED TO DISGORGE

If Blockade Continues It May Help to Force Price Down, Is Claim.


NEW YORK, Feb. 22.—Five Hundred cars of foodstuffs from the west are expected to reach New York today. The cars contain meats, poultry and potatoes mostly.

Railroad men declare congestion in railroad yards in gradually being broken up and that food shortage soon will be dispelled. In the meantime Mayor Mitchel will start the city machinery working in an investigation of food prices on the east side.

Representative Borland of Missouri, is author of the letter. The other signers are Representatives Kend, California; Doolitte, Kansas; Anderson, Minnesota; Nelson, Wisconsin; Liver, South Carolina; Lenroot, Wisconsin; Mondell, Wyoming; Gerner, Texas, and Stephens, Nebraska.

The letter follows:

"Dear Colleagues:

"In response to the request of the president the federal trade commission placed before the appropriation committee an estimate and request for $400,000 [2013 CPI = $7,279,812]. Thereafter, the commission was heard and the scope of the inquiry described inasmuch as the information to be secured would lose value if not obtained within a reasonable length of time and especially as information from various scenes of investigation piled simultaneously, it is obvious should be compared and ???? that a large force will be necessary to make the research serviceable and available. 

"The benefits accruing from the investigation by the trade commission into the news print paper situation show the value and necessity of such work as the commission is empowered and enabled to do.

"The appropriation committee failed to recommend any appropriation for the purpose outlined in the president's letter. Without any specific appropriation it is impossible for the committee to take up the work with any possibility of satisfactory results.

"It would appear to us that the estimates of the commission should be put in the sundry civil bill when it comes up for passage in the house either at the end of this week or at the beginning of next week.

"We, the undersigned, who have taken a special interest in the procuring of such action by the federal trade commission, earnestly and respectfully submit to our colleagues in the house the facts of the situation to the end that they may, in realization of the importance of the matter, be on hand to vote for such an amendment."


At the same time Borland’s letter was circulated, it became known that the appropriations committee is unchanged if not strengthened in its opposition to the $400,000 appropriation. They gave further color to reports that there is friction between congress and the federal trade commission.

As the Borland letter was being read, Representative Bailey, Pennsylvania, introduced a resolution for an immediate embargo on foodstuffs and other necessities. An investigation, he said, would be necessary.

Frank Jamison of the New York and New Jersey Retailers ????? in a statement delivered ????? ??...

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…plenty of food and that with the advent of the half thousand cars prices should be forced down immediately. He declared meat prices should be the first to tumble. Word from packers, he said, is all that is required.

It has been found, according to official reports that 100,000 pounds of meats have been sent into cold storage within the last ten days.

Many tons of onions and potatoes are lying at snipping piers to await shipments to foreign countries and an appeal to the interstate commerce commission to enforce a law which limits the time they may be so held is contemplated.

The New York health department has started the issuance of daily food bulletins showing how foods that have increased greatly in price may be eliminated from daily diet. Rice is urged as a substitute for potatoes and instructions for cooking in order to get the greatest food value are given.


May "Dump" Potatoes.

DENVER, Feb. 22—With potatoes selling at five cents [2013 CPI = $0.91] a pound on the local market Colorado potato growers in the Greeley districts are said to be holding nine hundred carloads of potatoes for still higher prices. However, reports that producers in Wisconsin and Minnesota are showing uneasiness over the freight congestion and would "dump" their present holdings on the market has caused some alarm among the farmers in Colorado and a more liberal movement of potatoes to market is expected.

Denver housewives have followed a policy of restricted consumption of potatoes since prices reached the present high levels but there has been no organized effort to boycott the spud.


Blockade May Help?

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 22.—Germany's submarine blockade may be the means of reducing the high cost of living m the United States in the opinion of F. B. Connolly, secretary of the National Retail Grocers' association expressed today.

The retail grocers’ association recently asked President Wilson to place an embargo on the exportation of wheat, flour, sugar, canned milks and canned tomatoes.

"The German submarine blockade may accomplish for the people of the United States just what we have been trying to do," said Connolly. "Exportations of food stuffs have decreased materially since the submarine blockade order took effect."

"A slight decrease in prices may be expected at any time if Atlantic ships continue to refuse to brave the blockade," said Connolly. "The New York docks will become so congested with foodstuffs that speculators will be forced to place them on the American markets," he said.


Plants May Close.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.—Government officials today declared that threatened suspension of light, heat, and power plants in the middle west because of inability of many towns and cities to obtain coal, is second in seriousness only to the food shortage.

The American railroads association announcement that hold-ups and delays in coal and coke transportation has reached a critical stage named the following cities as being affected:

Chicago, Oak park, Evanston, Blue Island, Kankakee, Bloomington, Dekalb, [Mok]ena, Rockford and Springfield, Illinois; Detroit, Indianapolis, Burlington, Ia., Cadillac, Cold Water, Monroe, Mich.; Toledo and Wakesha, Wis.

Some of these towns it is said have gone deeply into their surplus of coal supplies and cannot continue to keep up their heat, lighting and power plants, unless there is more coal rushed immediately from the Pennsylvania, Youghiogheny fields, and Fairmont, Kanawha, Pocahontas and the smaller field in West Virginia and Kentucky.


Riot In Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 22.—The whole section of Philadelphia in the vicinity of the Franklin Sugar Refining company was under heavy police guard today following a riot that amounted to practically a pitched battle last night. One man was, killed several others so severely injured that they may die and many were hurt.

Mrs. Florence Sholde, 32, was arrested and is held under $1,500 bail on the charge of inciting a riot.

The section of the city were the fighting occurred is guarded today by reserve police and mounted police from all parts of the city are concentrated to prevent further outbreaks.

Trouble was anticipated when the negro strike breakers in the sugar refinery returned to work today.



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