The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-10
INCREASE IN PRICE . SHOWN BY REPORTS Wholesale Figures Not in
 Same Proportion RATES IN 1912 AND 1913 Food in General Slightly Lower Last Year, But Clothing Was 2.5
 Per Cent Higher Than
 Previous Year
RATES IN 1912 AND 1913

Washington, october s.-(Special )-Not- withstanding the tremendous advance in retail prices for various commodities and foodstuffs, in the past few years, pro- rortionate increase in wholesale prices does not appear in figures just issued by the bureau of labor statistics of the de- psrtment of labor. In very many cases, indeed. the wholesale rates are higher for 1913 than for 1890, the period covered by the report, but they do not reach the proportionate altitude of the retail fig ures.
 Food in general. says the report was IT per cent lower in 1913 than in 1912, albeit no ultimate consumer in the land can cite any reduction in the prices at retail. The important articles in which the decline was greatest were potatoes. coffee, sugar, beans, meal, flour and cheese Important articles showing an advance were mutton, salt, beef, salt pork, hams, bacon and dressed poultry.
 AS a group. cloths and clothing were 25 per cent higher in 1913 than in 1912. this advance, says the report being due in the main to the increase in the aver age prices of bleached sheetings, raw silk boots and shoes, leather, cotton yarns and various other cotton manu- factures." In the main, the articles show ing decline were those of woolen man. ufa actures. such as secured wool, worst ed warns. all wool suitings and dress goods.
 The increase in prices of fuel. etc, in 1o13 as compared with 1912, was 6.2 per cent, the greatest advance being in pe- troleum.
 In the metals and implements group the prices of 1913 show an increase of II per cent over 1912. Some of the com r,odities showing the greatest advance were bar iron, steel billets, black sheets, barb wire. Bessemer and foundry pig iron and nails. Such articles as tools, steel rails and builders hardware were The important articles de- elinjng in price were spelter, sheet zinc. copper, tin and lead.
 Lumber and building materials were 2.l per cent higher in price in 1913 than in 1912, the articles producing the larger part of the increase being glass, cement, tar and shingles, while linseed oil, resin and turpentine showed decrease.
 A general advance of per cent in the 19is price of house furnishing goods is attributed by the report to an advance in bedroom furniture, tables knives, glass tumblers and earthenware. None or the articles in this group showed decline. and five Of them showed no change in rrice for tive years.
 Under a group of 54 raw articles the report includes such items as all farm products. beans coffee, eggs milk, rice, pepper, tea, vegetables, raw silk. wool, coal, crude petroleum, copper ingots, pig lead, pig iron, bar silver, spelter, pig tin, birthstone, jute and rubber. As thus grouped, tho average wholesale price of raw commodities for 1913 was 1.1 per cent below that for 1912. while the wholesale price for manufactured comodities for 1913 Was IS per cent above that of 1912.
 In 1913, light hogs advanced from an average of s7.45 per 100 pounds in January to $9.1S44 in July, or 23.3 per cent; crude petroleum advanced 25 per cent from January to March; corn ad-