Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-01-19
COST OF LIVING.
Great Increase In Recent Years
shown by Bureau StnttstScs.

1ER0t increase In NeCenN AcAbO
shown by Bureau statt"s'cs.
The eighteenth annual report OF the
bureau Of lnbE, the report for the year
1903, which has just been completed.
vestiyation into the cost of living OF
workngmens families and the retail
prices of the principal staple articles
OF food used 10y such families.
The figures OF income and expendi-
ture furnished in detail by 2!67 falni-
lies in thirty-tl,ree states, representing
the leading Industrial ccnters Of the
country, formed the material for the
detailed study Of the o.St Of living.
Certain data which do not enter SO
much into detail were collected in re-
gard to the COS; of living in 23.44O
families, and tine results are extensive
~ summarized in the report One table
shows that the 2.567 families consisted
on M average Of 5.3l persons, o. per-
SOUS above the average ot private tam
lilies in the whole country rs shown hy
tAe census of 1900. This larger size Of
family was not due to any Intentional
selection of larger families. for the
only basis of selection was that the
head of the family must be wage
worker or a salaried man earning not
over 81 200 during the year and must
be able to give Information In regard
to his expenditures in detail. The aver
age income for the year Of these 2.!G7
families from all sources was $S27 10.
poses was X76S. 54 and the average ex-
pendit,lre for food was $32G,9O per
family, or 40 "a per cent Of the averag sc
expenditure for all purposes
The relative prices OF food in the va
rious years We're thoroughly invesf-
gated. and it was found that there
has been a great increase in recent
years.
According = tls statistics gathered.
the average cost of food per family in
| 1890 was S,lS2O. In 1896. the year Of
lowest prices, 1t fell to $2!6.76 and in
| 1902 reached the highest point Of the
period. being $:}44.61. an increase, as
| has been already stated. Of 16.l per
cent over 1896, or Of 1913 per cent when
| compared with the average for the ten
wear pcriod Of 1890 to 1890. The in
crease in the cost of living as shown
| by the results OF this investigation re-
| latcS to food alone. representing 425+
per cent OF all family expenditures in
the 2.5G7 families furnishing informa
| tion.
| OF the remaining articles. conStitnt-
! ing 81 46 per cent of the family eX-
peuditure, certain ones are from their
nature affected only indirectly and in
very slight degree by any rise or fall
in prices. Such are payments on ac-
count of principal and interest of mort
gage, taxes. property and life insur
ance, labor and other organization fees,
amusements and vacations intoxlcat-
ing liquors and sickness and death
These together constituted 14.51 per
cent of the family expenditure in 1901
of the 1867 families investigated. Mis-
cellaneous purposes not reported. for
which from their very character no
prices are obtainable. made up 5.S1 per
cent, and rent. for which also no prices
for the several years are available,
made up 1895 per cent.
The remaining classes of family eX-
penditure, - 13 per cent of all, consist
of clothing. 14.O4 per cent; fuel and
! lighting. 5.25 per cent; furniture and
utensils, $40 per cent, and tobacco, 40
per cent. ISor these no retail prices
covering series of years are avaia-
Bile, but accepting as true of wholesale
and retail prices here what this investi-
| CATION has found true in the case OF
food-namely, that retail prices rise
and fall more slowly and in smaller
degree than wholesale prices AN ex-
animation Of the relative wholesale
prices of these classes of articles, civ.
ing them their proper weight according
to family consumption, leads to the
conclusion that the retail prices Of these