The evening times., 1901-09-06
THE COST OF LIVING HIGH.
Prices Almost 1T the Top Figures for
the Past Decade.

Prices are higher iu almost every line
at present than they have been before
this year and higher than i'm any previous
month i'm tl. past decade with a single
exception. The cost of living is far "a
/ excess of the cost two OF three years ago
Buu's Index Number" OF average price
! on September I was sgf9lL "Duns Re
view tomorrow will say:
The present range of values. based on
! the per capita consumption Of 800 quota
Jious. is higher than at any previous tiIae
this year. and only about fifty cents low
! or TRAN the top point OF 1890 when the in
| d,N number WAS al the hiEh-water mark
I OF the decade Changes during the last
month were exceptionally interesting,
/ since they faithfully reflect the only two
uEtoWard influences OF the year. Follow
/ ing the usual method of classification. 1t
appears that in hroadstuGs there was
rise OF "A per cent in August. almost en-
( tirely due TO the advance in the price of
/ corn, as other cereals varied little, al
| though beans and peas reached a higher
! level
The effects Of the decreased yield of
maize were more pronounced during the
early part Of August than at the opening
/ Of the new month. and wheat also reach
/ ed a much higher level. These fuctua-
| tiOns were largely due to speculation. and
/ could not be maintained in the face Of
/ corn exports averaging less than half a
/ million bushels weekly Meats also ad-
/ vanCcd to an abnOrmally high point, sur
passing all recent years The gain for the
/ month. however. was only about what
/ might De expected in the light Of cora
/ prospects Dairy and garden products
/ were slightly lower; the advance IN eggs,
/ apples, milk, and miscellaneous vegeta-
/ bles being more than balanced by the de
} cline iu potatoes. butter. cheese. and hay.
/ \ triiliuE loss was also recorded in other
/ articles of food. due to the decline in
/ both raw and refined sugar and hops.
/ The small advance in the clothing class
! was the most gratifying feature Of the
months variations. Here there was no
/ speculative nor other unreal influence at
/ work; just a wholesome expansion in de-
mand for both cotton and wooIen goods,
I and a small rise in the price OF raw wool
/ after discouraEingly long period Of dull
! ness Raw cotton advanced on less IA
I vorable conditions I'm Texas, and greater
activity at the mills Six reached the
/ best price Of the year, and goods were
I generally firm while throughout all
/ branches of textile and kindred lines the
situation distinctly improved. Roots and
/ shoes were well maintained. but the net
/ change in leather and hides was down
/ ward. although the last week of August
/ hrough; a partial recovery OF earlier loss
! Is. moderate advance occurred in the
/ rubber market.
AN advance Of 80 per cent I'm metals
| was mainly artificial Owing 10 the in
tcrrUption IN certain branches Of the iron
/ and steel industry by the strike, there
| was q general tendency to harden quota
! tions. This was especially noticeable n
tin plates where the available supply
! was soon exhausted, and Tnanufacturers
Of cans were forced to pay big premiums
| until imports could be secured Easier
Z markets for the raw materials naturally
/ prevailed as the mills were consuming
/ less, and both pig iron and tin weakened
! extensively. Another factor In this divl-
| siOns rise was the advance In anthracite
! coal In the miscellaneous class there
! was a small decline. mainly on account Of
| the heavy fan In lnseed oil Drugs also
| avera ged lower, despite gains in many
| items, but paper, lath, turpentlne, and
/ hemp were higher
| Prices for the last three months are ap-
! pended.