The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-06-27
COST Of LIVING
RECORD BREAKER
Statistics Show that Prices
Are at the Highest Point
in 20 Years.
A COMPARISON is MADE
MILK, FOUR OF THE NEcEssI-
TIES, ARE LEADERS IN THE
PHENOMENAL INCREASE.

PHENOMENAL INCREASE.
Washington. June 27.-The cest of
living in March of this year was high
er than at any time in the preceding
twenty years.
This fact is shown by the govern
ment statistics as set forth in the lat
est report of the Department of Com
merce and Labor. The report makes
a comparison of prices of necessaries
of life from 1890 to March. 1910.
1t shows that the cost OF living in
March of this year was rs per cent
higher than in March, 1909; 1o.2 per
cent higher than in August. 1905: ell
per cent higher than the average year
ly price of 1900, 49.2 per cent higher
than the average yearly price OF 1897.
and 3S.s per cent higher than the av
erage yearly price for the ten years
from 1890 to 1899.
These figures are for wholesale
prices alone. The retail prices. if
computed, probably would show a
more alarming increase. And the end
is not yet in sight. There has been
a steady monthly increase in prices
| beginning with September. 1908, up to
March of this year, without break,
and there appears to be no hope that
conditions will change. The increase
probably will continue at the same ra-
| ito
HIPS Contention Not Borne Out.
| Since the beginning of this year
| there has been surprising advance
in prices. The March, 1910, prices
show an increase of 10 per cent over
January, and per cent increase over
February
James J. Hills assertion that it is
not the high cost of living, but the
cost OF high living that is troubling
| the American people," is not borne out
by the governments figures. Mr..
Hills statement is refuted by these
convincing statistics: The average
wholesale price OF raw commodities
for 1909 was 80 per cent higher than
in 1908, while in March, 1910, 1t was
1915 per cent higher than the average
for 1909.
| The average wholesale price of man.
ufactured commodities for 1909 was IA
per cent. higher than for 1908, and in
March, 1910, it was 7.2 per cent. high
err than the average for 1908 and 81
per cent higher than the average for
1909.
Some encouragement may possibly
be gathered from a comparison of the
figures of 1909 with 1907, the year OF
highest prices within a period from
1890 to 1909. The report shows that
the wholesale prices in 1909, as meas.
ured by the 257 commodities included
in it's recent investigations, advanced
5 per cent over the wholesale prices
in 1905 but with this advance they
were still % per cent below the aver
age prices of 1907. AS has been said
however the prices for March, 1910
top those Of any year within the las:
twenty.
Rise in Wholesale Prices.
The wholesale prices in 1909 were
14.5 per cent. higher than in 1900; Al
of the lowest prices in the period from
1890 to 1909: II per cent. higher thar
in 1890 and 26.5 per cent higher thar
the average prices for ten years from
1890 to 1899.
The highest point reached in $780,
was in October, from which month
there was a general decline until Aug
ust, 1908.
OF the 257 articles for which whole
sale prices were obtained 125 showed
an increase in the average price fo'
1909 as compared with 1908; 81 showed
no change and 1O1 showed decrease
OF the nine groups under which the
, commodities are classified, six showed
an increase in price in 1909 as com
pared with 1908, the largest percent
age of increase being in farm products
The increase in farm products wal
materials increased 4 per cent, ths
price of food "a per cent, clothes am
clothing % per cent. drugs and chemi
Gals Is per cent. The miscellaneous
group 5 per cent.
The three groups in which whole
sale prices decreased were house fur
nishing goods, ? per cent; fuel an
: lighting, IL per cent, and metals ans
implements ) per cent