Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-05-11

1906 was 2.6 per cent higher than for
1905, 36.5 per cent. higher than for
1897, the year Of lowest prices during
the seyenteen-year period, and IA
per cent higher than the average for
the ten years from 1890 10 1889.
Prices reached their highest point dur.
ing the seyenteen.year period in Dec
ember, 1906, the average for that
month being Al per cent higher than
the average for the. year 1906 and 6.S
per cent. higher than the average for
December, 1905.
The study Of the bureau was ex-
tended to farm products, foods,
clothes and clothing, fuel and light
ing, metals and implements, lumber
and building materials, drugs and
chemicals, house-furnishing goods, and
miscellaneous commodities. Only two
Of the nine groups showed a de-
crease in price as compared with
1905-farm products and drugs and
chemicals. Seven groups showed an
increase in price. this increase reach
ing 10.4 per cent. In the case of metals
and implements. and &c per cent. in
the case of lumber and building ma
terials.
The average price for 1906 farm
products taken as whole, differs
but little from that of 1905, de-
crease Of only one-half of / per cent.
being shown. Food. as whole IN.
creased SO per cent. in average price
fir 1906. as compared with 1905. The
principal articles showing an increase
were cheese, fish, fruit. hog products,
milk. rice, and vegetables. No change
took place in the price Of bread. A
slight decrease in the Wholesale cost
Of coffee, eggs, wheat aonr. cornmeal,
beef, sugar. and tea is shown.
OF the seyenty-fiye articles includ-
4 under clothes aud clothing. sixty
'x showed an increase in price. five
showed no change, and only -four
showed a decrease. In the group, as
whole there was an average in
crease Of II per cent. in price. In
fuel and lighting, as a group. there
was an increase in price of 5 per
cent There was an advance in the
price of anthracite coal Of domestic
sizes, coke and petroleum, and de-
crease in candles, broken anthracite
coal and bituminous coal. There was
a greater increase in price for met
falls and implements than any other
group. In this group the increase
for 1906 over 1905 was 104 per cent.
OF total of thirty-eight articles in
in the group, there was an increase in
price of twenty-nine articles, includ-
ing tools, barbed WIRE, copper. lead,
pig iron, nails, silver, tin plate, etc.
Twentyfour of twenty-seyen articles
included under lumber and building
material increased in price in 1906.
The only three articles that showed
decrease We're pine doors, linseed
oil, and quartered oak In the group,
as whole, there was an increase in
price of SO per cent
The only one of nine groups under
consideration that decreased in price
to any considerable extent was that
OF drugs and chemicals. In this
group there was decrease of 10 per
cent. There was an increase in price
of both gain and wood alcohol. and in
that of birthstone. House furnishing
goods as a whole, increased IT per
cent in price. More than half the
articles in this group, namely, earth
enware, glassware, woodenware, and
articles of cutlery. did not change the
price. The increase in the general
average of price in this group was
caused by the increased in the price
OF wooden furniture, In the miscel-
laneous group there was an advance
in the prices Of cottonseed oil and
meal, jute malt, proof spirits, rope,
and starch, There was no change in
the price of soap and smoking to-
bacco, and there was a decrease in
the price of news and wrapping paper,
rubber, and plug tobacco Taken al
together, the group of miscellaneous
articles increased IA per cent.-New
York Evening Post,