New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1915-07-20
COST OF living NOW
Higher in EUROPE
Prices for Foodstufs Increased
Because Of the War.


of living has been increased in Europe
by the war is shown in a study just
completed by the Bureau of Labor
statistics The information on which
the study was based was gathered
through the consular service and COW
crs more than one hundred cities,
towns and districts over eighteen Eu-
iopean countries. A summary issued
by the bueau says:
The report shows that the first eff
feet of the war was the same prac-
tically throughout Europe. Its OUT
break was followed by sharp rise in
prices due mainly to panic and uncer-
tainty. In some countries legislative
measures were at once taken to check
this rise. In others the governments
strictly adhered to taken-off policy
and trusted to the natural course of
events for readjustment. Within a
fortnight the first panic was over and
except in the actual war zone prices
began to fall In most places, how
ever, prices did not drop to the July
level and after an interval again took
an upward turn, which has probably
not yet reached its climax.
Figures Somewhat IncompIete.
THE price figures available are
somewhat 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 i'm
portant countries. Meat, also. was
another important article which in
many places increased but little in
PRICE
Flour on the other hand, showed
decided changes. Russia is the, great
est wheat exporting country Of Eu-
rope, and the war practically shut
off it's foreign markets. 1t is not sur
prising, therefore, to find that the
price Of wheat flour had actually fall
len in Moscow. In Germany and Aus
tria the rise was marked, prices COM
pared with the July level in Germany
showing an increase of 20 per cent
by December and "a per cent by jan
uary. In Vienna the increase by De-
cember was IS per cent and by jan
uary 80 per cent In Switzerland, the
Netherlands, and Great Britain flour
prices in December were Is or IA
per cent above the July level, but later
figures show a continued increase
In February, reaching "a per cent In
the Netherlands and 33 per cent In
Great Britain. Bread prices In most
cases followed those Of wheat flour.
In Germany and Austria, however,
the increases in the prices of bread
were somewhat less than those In
the price of wheat flour. .r.E
Sugar Prices Rise.
Sugar prices showed marked
differences resulting from the war
i'll different localities. In France the
best sugar beet fields lie in northern
parts. which were early invaded, and
as result the price Of sugar rose
sharply. Germany and Russia are
sugar exporting countries, and in
Berlin and Moscow sugar showed
little change in price. England i'm
ports its entire supply, and in Lon
ron the price rose 70 per cent. Tur-
key usually imports her sugar from
Russia and from Austria The Rus
sian supply was cut off altogether
when Turkey entered the war, and
the Austrian supply was reduced to
what could be brought by rail, very
dependence.
Administration and legislative
measures to check the rise in cost Of
necessities were very generally taken
Denmark, Egypt, Great Britain, Italy,
Russia, Spain and Turkey prohibited
the export Of practically all food
stuffs. France. Norway, and Sweden
listed certain articles which must not
be exported, and Holland placed an
mbargo on butter and chees.
Fix Nahum Prices.
Fixing maximum prices, especially
for food stuffs by some government
agency was a very common measure. !
TO some extent it was used by every |
country included in the bureaus re- |
port, although in Great Britain and |
Sweden so little of the sort was done |
mat these countries might almost be /
THE methods adopted for fixing
prices differed considerably. In France
Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands,
Russia, Spain and parts of Turkey
he municipal authorities either alone
,r in cooperation with the central
If military authorities, might fix
maximum rates if they thought best.
n most cases this right was of long
tanding In all of these countries
he municipal authorities have very
made use Of this right. In
Bulgaria a special law was passed
arly in August authorizing local au-
horizing local authorities with the
of financial authorities,
o fix prices, both wholesale and re.
ALL In Egypt commission was ap-
pointed by the central government
With power to fix maximum prices
n Serbia the minister Of the interior
vas charged with the duty of fixing
maximum prices.