Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-07-22

WASHINGTON. July 19-How the cost OF
living has been increased in Europe py
the war is shown in a study just conf
melted by the Bureau of Labor statistics.
The information on which the. study IS
based was gathered through the consul
lar service and covers more than 100
cities, towns and districts over Is Euro
pean countries. A summary issued by
the bureau says:
The report shows that the first effect
of the war was the same practcally
throughout Europe. Its outbreak Was
followed by a sharp rise in prices que
mainly to panic and uncertainty. In
some countries legislative measures were
at once taken to check this rise. In
others the Governments strictly ad-
hered to a hands-off policy and trusted
TO the natural course of events for read
justment. Within a fortnight the frst
panic was over and except in the actual
war zone prices began to fall. In
most places, however. prices did not
dron to the July level and after an in
terval again took an upward turn, which
has probably not Yet reached its climax.
/ The price figures available are some
what incomplete, but almost everywhere
the upward tendency of prices appears.
Potatoes WAS one of the few articles
which showed a fall in price in most OF
the more important countries. Meat
also, was another important article
which in many places increased but little
in price.
Flour on the other hand, showed de-
cided changes. Russia is the greatest
wheat exporting country of Europe, and
the war practically shut off its foreign
markets. 1t is not surprising. therefore,
to find that the price of wheat -four had
actually fallen in Moscow. In Germany,
and Austria the rise was marked. prices
compared with the July level in Germany
showing an increase OF % per cent. by
December and "a per cent. by January.
In Vienna the increase by December was
=, per cent and BY January 50 per cent.
In Switzerland, the Netherlands, ana
Great Britain -four prices in December
were Is or II per cent. above the July
Level, but later figures show a continued
increase in February, reaching q per
cent in the Netherlands AID % per cent.
in Great Britain Bread prices in most
cases followed those OF wheat flour. In
Germany and Austria. however, the in
creases in the prices of bread were some
what less than those in the price of
wheat -four.
Sugar prices showed marked differ
ences resulting from the war in different
localities. In France the best sugar beet
fields lie in the northern parts. which
rl,- OIL result fha
price of sugar rose SHARPLY. Germany
and Russia are sugar exporting coun-
tries. and in Berlin and Moscow sugar
showed little change in price. England
imports its entire supply, and in London
the price rose 20 per cent. Turkey usual
| ~ imports her sugar from Russia and
from Austria. The Russian supply was
cut off altogether when Turkey entered
the war, and the Austrian supply was
reduced to what could be brought by
rail. very uncertain dependence.
Administrative and legislative meas
ures to check the rise in cost of neces-
sares were very generally taken. Dem
mark, Egypt. Great Britain, Italy,
Russia, Spain and Turkey prohibited the
export of practically all foodstuffs
France, Norway and Sweden listed GER
tain articles which must not be exported
and Holland placed an embargo on but
ter and cheese.
Fixing maximum prices. especially for
foodstuffs by some Government agency
was a very common measure. To some
extent it was used by every country In
cluded in the bureaus report, although
in Great Britain and Sweden so little of
the sort was done that these countries
might almost be excepted.
The methods adopted for fixing prices
differed considerably. In France, Ger
many, Greece. Italy, Netherlands, Rus
STA. Spain and parts of Turkey the mu-
nicipal authorities. either alone or in CO.
operation with the central of military au-