Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-04-14

Covers $50 Commodities and Shows
Period of Twelve Years--Thc Relative
Prices for 1890 and 1902 the Same.
Carroll ID. Wright. commissioner OF la
Dor, has Issued a bulletin which will be
of great interest to economists and 9TH
ers who are studying the cost of living
and kindred questions He gives a COM
parison of the variations in the prices
of the necesSaries of life during the peg
Rod from 1890 to 1902. inclusive, cover
ing total of 80 to 265 commodities:
Sixteen farm products. 81 articles of
food, 40 articles of clothing. ID articles
of fuel and lighting. 30 of metals. 20 ar
ticles of lumber and building materials,
D articles of drugs and chemicals, II Of
house furnishing goods and the remainder
miscellaneous.
The lowest average in prices reached
by farm products was in 1896, and the
highest in 1902: food was lowest in 1896
and highest in 1891; clothing was lowest
in 1897 and highest in 1890; fuel and
lighting were lowest in 1894 and hig:iest
in 1902; metals and implements were
lowest in 1898 and highest in 1900; lum-
Der and building materials were lowest
in 1897 and highest in 1902; drugs and
chemicals were lowest in 1895 and high
est in 1900 house furnishing goods were
lowest in 1897 and highest in 1902; while
among the miscellaneous articles the
lowest average was reached in 1896 and
the highest in 1902. OF the nine groups
comprising all of the neeessaries of life,
the average was lowest in 1891. and the
highest in 1890 and 1902, the relative
price for these two years being eXactly
the same
In the comparison of the prices of 1909
with the average of 1890 to 1899 of the
sixteen articles III the farm products
group IL snow an increase and one
decrease: of the 50 ia the food, etc,
group. 50 show an increase ard Is de-
crease; of the 20 in the clothes and cloth
ing group. II show an increase, enc
shows the same price as the average for
the base period and 81 show decrease;
of the 10 in the fuel and lighting group,
il show an increase and one decrease;
of the 36 in the metals and implements
group, % show an increase, show the
same price as the average for the base
period and g show a decrease; of the 26
in the lumber and building materials
group, 10 shew an increase and I de-
crease; &c the in the drugs and chem
icals group, S show an increase and one
decrease; of the II in the house fur
nishing goods group, 13 show ran in
crease and one decrease; of the 13 in
the miscellaneous group, 10 show an IN
sara Il a fl,,
commodities for which prices were Sc
cured for tho whole period from $50
to 1902, 49, show an increase, ) show
the same price as the average for the
base period and 65 show decrease.
OF the 49, commodities that showed
an increase in 1902 over The average for
1890 to 1899, 63 advanced less than 10
per cent. 63 advanced from 10 to % per
cent. 80 advanced from 25 to 80 per
cent, 10 advanced from 30 to 100 per
cent and one advanced 100 per cent or
more
OF the 90 commodities which showed
a decrease. 46 decreased less than 10 per
cent, II decreased from 10 to % per
cent, 6 decreased from % to 80 per cent
and decreased 80 per cent or more.
OF the go articles for which prices
were secured for the whole period from
1890 to 1902. it is seen that 1872, or 72.S
per cent, show an increase in prices;
articles, or IL per cent show the same
price as the average for the base period,
and Go articles, or PC per cent, show
decrease in price in 1902 rs compared
with the average price fer the base pc
Rod
OF the 260 commodities considered in
this compilation Of prices, the average
price of 149 commodities was higher in
1902 than in 1901, the average price of
As was the same in 1902 as in 1901,
and the average price of 66 was lower in
1000 thop In 1Q01