The Delta independent., 1912-09-27
so PER CENT RAISE IN COST
OF LIVING SAYS u. U.S.REP0RT
Enormous Increase in Ten Years
and Potatoes Show Great
est Advance.

The most marked upward trend
in the cost of living is disclosed in
the federal bureau of labor's report
0. an investigation of prices for the
last ten years conducted in the i'm
portant industrial centers of thirty
two statse.
Fifteen important articles of
goods. as we'll as coal. comprising
two-thirds of a working mans needs
were investigated. In many cities
the investigators gathered state
ments from merchants on the cost Of
living and specimens of these are
published in the report.
On June Is, 1912. the report
shows fourteen of the fifteen ar
ticles of food were higher than a
year before and ten had advanced
in the last ten years more than SO
per cent over the average price for
the preceding ten years.
Spuds Highest, Sugar Lowest.
During the last decade prices OF
potatoes changed the most and of
sugar the least. The ir advances were
Ills and SIS per cent. respectively.
During the last year bacon. which
decreased just one-tenth of one per
cent. was the only one of the fif-
teen articles OF food that showed a
decline. while nine of the fifteen ad-
vanced more than per cent, varying
from "a per cent for milk to 1876 for
round steak
or the fifteen. only eggs. butter,
milk and sugar were lower, but the
prices of these four are normally low
er in summer than in winter.
Specimens Of Statements.
Specimens of the statements of
merchants in the various cities,
published in the report. follow:
New Meats in general are
SO high that II prices continue thus
much longer we will be obliged to
close up business. Have already lost
s2oe since advance in prices"
Chicago-''Jobbin price on flour
has advanced eighty cents on the
barrel and unless there is a decline
soon retail prices will advance"
Salt Lake City-"Everyth is
seemingly at the top. but nothing
shows any decline"
Remarks of merchants accompany
ing the price report for May Is.
told the same story. These are sam
pies:
Los Angelos-"The decline of price
on potatoes is due to spectators
losing their grip ON the market.
Shipments have arrived from other
states. and as new potatoes will
come in in n few weeks they had
to let GO
Portland d-"Raise of prices for
beef and pork is. due to shortage
of stock"
Food Prices For Year.
This was the showing made for
the food prices in the last year ac-
Investigated:
Decrease in prices; Smoked bacon.
per cent.
Increase in price; Fresh milk
"a. smoked ham 81. hens 3.S.
granulated sugar G., Irish potatoes
10. wheat flour 10.7. pork chops
11.2. pure lard 11.3, strictly fresh
eggs lis. corn meal 12.7. creamery
butter 1873. sirloin steak III, rib
roast 17.5. round steak 1876.
The advance during the decade.
compared with the price June Is
last with tho average for ten
years. follows:
Granulated sugar s.5 per cent,
fresh eggs. 26.1. fresh milk 32.9.
creamery butter S3.3, wheat flour
39.3. pure lard 55.3, hens 5S.1. sir
loin steak 59.5. smoked hams 61.3.
corn meal 6S.7. rib roast 6S.S.
round steak S4. pork chops Sc.
smoked bacon 96.7, irish potatoes
111.9.
Bituminous coal advanced in sew
enteen out of thirty-two cities. the
price remained unchanged in twelve
citics and declined in three cities.
Sf---
CANADA WRESTLER THREW