The Key West Citizen Newspaper, April 8, 1953, Page 7

END OF PRICE CONTROLS PRODUCES PRICE INCREASES NEW YORK w — The end of price controls has brought more “ups” than ‘‘downs,” but has left unchanged many items in the aver- age American's budget. That's the conclusion reached in an Associated Press 23-city sur- vey on the effects of decontrol on the cost of living. The survey shows these increas- es: cigarettes up 1 or 2 cents a pack, and coffee up 2 to 5 cents a pound at all points; gasoline up in eight cities; and bread up in six cities. According to the check, there have been no significant price changes in clothing, home fuels, restaurant meals or butter since the last controls were removed March 17. The big item moving downward has been meat; some housewives interviewed say the drop in the price of meat has balanced the hike in coffee and cigarettes, leaving their grocery bill about where it was before decontrol. Increases in gasoline range from three-tenths of’ a cent in Cleve- land and Columbus, 0., to about 3 cents in Seattle and San Fran- eisco. Gasoline is up 2 cents I Los Angeles, 1% cents in St. Louis, and one-half cent in Boston. The price of a loaf of bread has been hiked one-half cent in Boston, and 1 cent in St, Louis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Seattle | 409 5 and Pittsburgh. Other items. which now cost! more than in the control period: such building materials as cement, brick, gypsum products, wall board and plumbing <supplies; copper- clad stainless steel cooking uten- sils; lamps and light bulbs; steel drums and pails; office machinery, and some rugs and linoleum. Increases are predicted for bed sheets in the next few weeks; for men’s suits next fall; and for basic steel in the near future. One of the big price cuts since D. decontrol came when Chrysler slashed its prices by an average of $100 per ear. Other auto makers did not follow. There are suggestions that some of the rises which came quickly after the death of controls will not last. The National Association of Purchasing Agents puts it this; way: Wednesday, April 8, 1953 THE KEY WEST CITIZEN Page 7 “Much of the new price posting; cery chain spokesman. “But they } may be market testing and will) are still exhausting their budget.” stand or fall by the pressures of} According to the report from! aupely and demand.” Boston, housewives were not the In the words of an Indianapolis | only ones concerned with the boost department store executive, “The| in the price of coffee. After the day price controls ended was just | hike went into effect, a Boston another day. Only a few scattered | cafeteria reduced tea from 10 to items have been affected, because |5 cents to discourage coffee sales. the market is very competitive.” |For the same reason, a Spring- The AP survey also brought forth | field, Mass., restaurant recently comments and sidelights: | offered free tea to its patrons. A Minneapolis housewife, Mrs.| Good buys at the meat counter Cc. L. Rimarcik, says: j were reported from Dallas and “Some things have gone down, | New Haven. Meat prices in Dallas especially beef and cotton house-/ re lower than at any times in| hold goods, since controls went off. 110 years, with the exception of It looks to me like prices are| bacon. Round steak is selling at) getting back to where they were|59 cents a pound. = “4 before the Korean War.” Grocery officials interviewed in| : | various cities predict that prices parorte a woman Se Wsahingtas, | will remain stable for some time. | “Right now the wage dollar buys “pve heard all this talk about} more food than at any time in my meat being cheaper and so on, but! memory and I’ve been in the bus- in the past month my grocery bill | iness over 20 years,” said Earl has tun $2 a week higher.” — | Huffing, vice president of the In-| Several housewives interviewed | diana Retail Grocers and Meat | in St. Louis, Boston and Los An-| Dealers Association. geles have noticed no substantial In Cincinnati, Sam Becker, a} difference in prices. clothing manufacturer who also! “A family which has been doing | operates two retail stores, sums without high - priced items goes | up the picture in his field, “Prices back to buying them after a slight|are as low as they can be,” he price drop,” says a Boston gro-ideclares. “The retailer is making | i Appeals Decision BALTIMORE & — George Ed-} ward Grammer, 35-year-old for- | mer New York office. manager sen- tenced to hang for the murder of his wife, will take his case to the Maryland Court of Appeals at annapolis. Judge Herman. Moser, who heard ‘ the case without a jury,: imposed the death penalty yesterday in the slaying of Grammer’s 33-year-old wife Dorothy last. August. The State contended he did it because. he loved another woman, The prosecution charged Gram- mer beat his wife to death and | then tried to cover it up with a) faked automobile accident. INQUIRY ORDERED WASHINGTON (® — The Civil Aeronautics Administration has ordered a propeller. inspection: for most of the nation’s commercial airplanes “to preclude further ‘hazardous accidents.” just enough to make a living and stay in business.” Cities covered in the AP price check included Boston; New Ha- en, Conn.; Albany, N. Y.; New- ark, N. J.; Atlanta; Charlotte, |N. C,; New Orleans: Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Chicago; Columbus, O. Indianapolis; Baltimore; Washing- | ton; Dallas; Kansas City; Seattle; | Minneapolis; Los | Francisco; St. Angeles; San Louis; Cincinnati and Cleveland. PLYMOUTH ANNOUNCES the newest, smoothest NO-SHIFT DRIVING in the lowest-priced field ! Drive without shifting! Drive with new smoothness! Drive with Plymouth’s sensationally new HY-DRIVE! Nothing new to learn—HY-DRIVE makes driving easier than ever! Plymouth’s new HY-DRIVE is available now for the 1953 Plymouth of your choice—at the lowest cost of any no-shift unit in the lowést-priced field! HY-DRIVE takes to the hills! No need for a long running start. Just feed more gas; HY-DRIVE instantly provides the extra power your car needs to take Steep grades without slowing down HY-DRIVE also gives you braking action coming down a hill. Stay where you stop with HY-DRIVE. On HY-DRIVE is easy to use! Start the engine with the lever in neutral. Simply move the lever into high, and you're in HY-DRIVE! In traffic, starting or stopping, cross-town or cross-country, HY-DRIVE lets you drive without shifting—just brake or accelerate! Feel fresh, all day tong, with HY-DRIVE! an upgrade like this HY-DRIVE lets you keep your hands on the wheel, your foot ‘on the accelerator, There’s no need to use the parking brake—just speed up your engine a trifle to offset the back- ward pull of the slope. It takes so little effort to drive with HY- DRIVE. There's no “traffic fatigue” from continually working up and down through conventional gears. You drive with new ease, new sureness, and HY-DRIVE saves your energy! Piymouth’s new HY-DRIVE is an advanced torque converter development: a simple, eelf-contained unit that never needs adjustment, special care, or expensive upkeep. Your nearby Plymouth @eaier invites you te drive & new Piymouth PLYMOUTH C e equipped with new HY-DRIVE—to see for yourself how much HY-ORIVE smoothness HY-DRIVE starts smooth, stays Smooth! From standstill to cruising, there’snever a lurch orjerk as your speed increases; no lagging engine action. When your toe says “go,” you're off and away with HY-DRIVE’S fast, powerful response! HY-DRIVE gives you better control. Because HY-DRIVE applies power to the rear wheels smoothly, you get better traction on icy, wet or slippery streets. For rocking out of deep mud Or snow, your low and second gears are there, with the normal clutch control. Now you can save on tires with the frau ine Guarantee. Here's your chance to get greater blowout piece tion, longer mileage, more non-skid safety at big savings! Don't wait — equip today at these low prices! With your old tire PLUS TAX SPRING VALUES IN Firestone. @ a De Pagal 9495 UPER SPECIAL! Big 18x 15'2-Inch Rubber Floor Mats For Ca ind Home An 89¢ Value Choice of Four Colors — 35: ZINNIAS FIRESTONE HOME & AUTO SUPPLY HASTINGS C. SMITH, Prep. irk 95 Valves Famous Velon PLASTIC COVERS 29.95 Values ~ Sedan or Coach pate 1201 WHITE ST. DIAL 25833 and ease will add ¢ @ Wh ? @ase w © your driving pleasure. y not see him today Ceopono and Dom ly aS me