Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1912-09-24
FOOD PRICE UP
so PER CENT
In Ten Years Potatoes Chang
ed Most and Sugar
Least
FEDERAL REPORT
TELLS OF ADVANCES

WASHINGTON. Sept 24-The most
marked upward trend of the cost Of
living IS disclosed in the Federal
Bureau of Labor's report Of an inves-
tigation of prices for the past 10 years
conducted in the important industrial
centres of 81 States
Fifteen most important articles Of
food as we'll as coal. comprising two
thirds of worhingman's needs. were
Investigated. In many cities the I'M
vcstigators gathered statements Of
merchants on the cost of living and
specimens of these are published in
the report
on June IS, 1912. the report shows
IA of the 10 articles of food were
higher than year before, and 10 had
advanced ia the past 10 years more
than 80 per cent over the average re-
tgil price for the l0-year period from
1890 TO 1899
During the last decade prices of 20
iatoes changed most and sugar the
least Their advances were ll1.9 and
SIS per cent. respectively During the
last year bacon. which decreased just
one-tcnth Of j per cont was the only
one of the is principal articles Of food
that showed a decline Ina price, while
Q of the rs advanced more than 10
per cent. varying from "a per cent.
Tor milk. to 1876 per cent for round
steak. OF tho 10. only eggs, butter,
milk and sugar were lower, but the
price OF three of these four Is normal
ly lower during summers than during
winters
This was tho showing made for tho
food prices in the last year, according
TO the report on the foods invosugat-
ed
Decrease in price, smoked bacon. 1
per cent
Increase in price. fresh milk "a
per cent; smoked ham, 27, hens. 3.S;
GRADUATED sugar. 6 Irish potatoes,
T6 wheat -four 1917. pork chops,
it2: pure lard ii3: strictly fresh
eggs, 49,. oornmcal, 1877. creamery
butter. 1873. sirloin steak 17l rib
roast l75. and round steak. 1876.
Advance During Decade.
The advance during tho decade,
comparing the price June 10 last with
The average for the 40 years. was as
follows; Cranulated sugar. SIS per
cent; strictly fresh eggs, 20 /; fresh
milk, 1923. creamery butter, 333;
wheat flour. 80 3; pure lard, $685.
hens, 5S1; sirloin steak, 595; smoked
hams. 613: cornmeal. 637; rib roast,
SIS: round steak. "a; nork chops Sc
smoked bacon, 967; Irish potatoes
1l19
Coal also advanced considerably in
some cities The price on April 10,
as compared with a year before, was
higher In Pennsylvania anthracite,
stove size. In 20 out OF 20 cities from
which reports We're secured. and there
was no change of PRICE In the remain
ms four cities. During The same
period Pennsylvania anthracite chest
nut size. advanced in 26 out of "a
cities. and bituminous advanced IN n
out of 80 cities, the price remained un-
changed in . cities and declined in
cities In the North Atlantic States
Pennsylvania white ash coal stove
size was 11.3 per cent higher on
April IS, 1912. than year before;
Pennsylvania anthracite whiteash,
chestnut size 1l.9 higher and blum
inous. n per cent higher, these
were the largest increases, while In
the Western States the prices we're
unchanged or there were no data for
anthracite and bituminous coal was
IL per cent less than April IS, 1911.
The net prices OF gas for household
Use on April IS, compared With the
previous year showed that reiuctions
ranged from 8 10 40 cents for manu-
featured gas among "a companies in
36 cities and practically unchanged
among the natural gas plants.