"The comparative amounts of food stocks on hand June 1, 1919, as against June 1, 1918, in the case of many important foods, show that the stocks are considerably larger.
"On June 1, 1918, the United States stocks were in demand for feeding the armies of the Allies as well as the civilian population. The fact that stocks of many important foods were much larger on June 1, 1919, while prices were as high or higher, apparently, means that they are being withheld speculatively for a world demand which is not now here but which is expected when hunger-impelled strikes secure higher wages with which higher food prices can be paid.
"The statistics of stocks are from the latest and last issue of the Bureau of Markets 'Food Surveys,' June 27, 1919. We use the quantities reported by identical firms for 1918 and 1919. (Stocks held June 1, 1919, by other firms not reporting for June 1, 1918, increase the actual stocks from 5 or 10 per cent. up to 20 or 25 per cent. over the comparable stocks). The stocks are those in warehouses and cold storage houses and in hands of wholesale dealers. Retail stocks are not reported. The prices are wholesale prices, furnished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the first Tuesday in June.
| COMMODITIES INCREASING IN STOCKS AND IN PRICE (Wholesale Prices) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commodity | Unit of quantity | Quantity | Unit of Price | Price | |||
| June, 1919 | June, 1918 | Per cent increase 1919 over 1918 | June 1919 | June 1918 | |||
| Wheat | Bushel | 41,955,167 | 15,286,331 | 174.5 | Dollars per bu. | 2.51 | 2.20 |
| 2.46 | 2.17 | ||||||
| Wheat flour | Barrel | 3,942,205 | 3,236,671 | 21.8 | Dollars per bbl. | 12 - 12.20 | 9.80 |
| 11.50 - 11.80 | 9.95 | ||||||
| Canned salmon | Pound | 99,203,544 | 82,616,582 | 20.1 | Dollars per doz. No. 2 cans | 2.70 - 2.75 | 2.70 |
| Canned corn | Pound | 81,233,023 | 42,352,994 | 91.8 | Dollars per doz. No. 2 cans | 1.70 | |
| 1.75-(Mch) | 1.75 | ||||||
| Fresh eggs | Case | 5,975,817 | 5,441,560 | 9.8 | Cents per doz. | 40 - 40½ | 29 |
| 30¾ | |||||||
| Butter (creamery) | Pound | 29,190,222 | 12,749,055 | 129.0 | Cents per lb. | 53 | 41 |
| Salt Beef | Pound | 25,701,138 | 24,962,881 | 3.0 | Dollars per bbl. | 35.00 | 32.00 |
| 36.00 | 34.00 | ||||||
| Frozen fowls | Pound | 10,962,670 | 2,749,077 | 298.8 | Cents per lb. | 37½ | 34½ |
| COMMODITIES INCREASING IN STOCKS AND DECREASING IN PRICE. (Wholesale Prices.) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commodity | Unit of quantity | Quantity | Unit of Price | Price | |||
| June, 1919 | June, 1918 | Percent increase | June 1919 | June 1918 | |||
| Barley | Bushel | 16,399,396 | 7,916,073 | 107.2 | Dollars per bu. | 1.19 - 1.27 | 1.21 - 1.26 |
| Rye | Bushel | 11,613,127 | 3,355,349 | 246.1 | Dollars per bu. | 1.53½ | 1.73 |
| Buckwheat Flour | Pound | 18,053,230 | 5,523,850 | 226.8 | Dollars per cwt | 5.00(Apr) | 5.75 6.25(Apr) |
| Canned Tomatoes | Pound | 179,101,286 | 88,531,024 | 102.3 | Dollars per doz. No. 3 cans | 2.05 (Dec'18) | 2.30 |
| COMMODITIES DECREASING IN STOCKS AND IN PRICE. (Wholesale Prices) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commodity | Unit of quantity | Quantity | Unit of Price | Price | |||
| June, 1919 | June, 1918 | Percent increase | June 1919 | June 1918 | |||
| Oats | Bushel | 37,827,343 | 41,763,555 | 9.4 | Cents per bu. | 69 | 73½ |
| Corn Meal | Pound | 34,231,066 | 117,674,918 | 70.9 | Dollars per cwt | 3.90 | 4.25 |
| Beans | Bushel | 4,252,451 | 4,408,686 | 3.5 | Dollars per cwt | 7.75 - 8.00 | 12.25 - 12.50 |
| Rice (Blue Rose) (Honduras) | Pound | 75,134,920 | 80,727,516 | 6.9 | Cents per lb. | 6 - 77/8 | 8.5 - 8.9 |
| 91/8[10][11] | 8½ - 95/8 | ||||||
[10]First week JUNE.
[11]Increase in price.