The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-12

decrease. In the group as whole there
was an average increase of So per
cent in price. the principal increase
being in cotton goods and silk.
In fuel and lighting as a group there
was an increase In price of "a per cent.
petroleum and coke increased In price,
as did also some kinds of coal. Other
kinds Of coal decreased slightly in
price.
In the metals and implements group
the Increase in the average price for
1907 over 1906 was 81 per cent. OF d
total Of thirty-eight articles in the
group there was an increase In the
price of twenty-five articles. including
barb wire, copper, iron. steel blliet IS
nails, tin plate, etc. Six articles. in
Guiding steel rails. did not change In
fnrice ana in seven articles there was q
decrease.
twenty one of the twenty-seven ar
tfcles included under lumber and build
ing materials increased In 1907 as COM
pared with 1906. Nearly all kinds OF
timber products showed marked IN
crease. There was a decrease IN the
prices OF brick. window glass, turpen-
tine and spruce. In the group as
whole there was an increase IN prizes
OF 40 per cent.
The increase In the average price OF
drugs and chemicals IN 1907 over l9O6l
was s.3 3per cent, the articles showing
the greatest increase being glycerlne
and opium Wood alcohol showed a
marked decrease in price
Higher Prices for Furniture.
House furnishing goods as q whole
Increased 6.S per cent. in price. me
increase was In furniture, wooden
ware and cutlery. Earthenwaro and
glassware did rot change In price. NO
article Included in this group de-
crease as compared with 1906.
In the miscellaneous group there
vas n marked increase in the prices
OF news paper. cottonseed oil. malt
and starch There was no change In
the price Of smoking tobacco, and there
was a decrease in the prices OF rub
Der and three other articles. aken
together, the, group OF miscellaneous
articles increased In price per cent.
Srhc per cent. OF increase or, decrease
In the average price for 1907 for each
OF the 25S articles as compared with
the price for 1906 Is shown in detail.
In addition to the classification into
the nine groups named above. the 25s
articles included in the investigation
have been divided into two general
groups, designated as raw commodities
and manufactured commodities. Or
course, fixed definitions of these classes
can not be made. but the commodities
hero designated as raw may be said to
be such as are marketed In their nat
ural state, and such as have been sub
1ected to only q preliminary manufnat--,
uring process. thus converting them
into a marketable condition. but not
to a suitable form for final consump-
ton, while the commodities here de-
signated as manufactured are such as
have hen subjected to- moro than q
preliminary factory manipulation, and
in which the manufacturing labor cost
constitutes an important element In
tho price. In the group designated MS
raw arc Included all farm products,
beans, coffee, eggs. milk. rice, nutmegs,
pepper, ten, vegetables, raw silk, wool,
coal, crude petroleum, copper ingots,
llpig lead. plg IRON bar silver, spelter',
pig tin. imstone, jute, and rubber,
| d total of laftSs articles. All the other
articles are clnssed as 4 ufactured
commodities 3g II IL VI 38,ii
AS thus gron ped ~ n appears that the
layerage M ol esal e prica r q "a NJ com