South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-05
PRICES HAVE CONE
Up SINCE 1915
Bulletin Issued by Government
9ureau Gives Interesting
Data on Costs in u. S.


ing 1916. covering a42 important
commodities. OF series OF quotations,
is contained bon bulletin 226 just is
sued by thc bureau OF labor slatis-
tics ~ the United States department
Of labor. This report Is the latest
one OF a series published annually
since 1902 In addition 20 detailed
data for 1916 average prices are
shown for each year back 20 1890.
10 Is OF especial interest as showing
the changes in wholesale prices
during the second year OF ting war.
while tn United States wiz still
neutral and because Of the large
amount of detailed information
which 10 presents. Those who may
wish 20 trace the movement OF
prices bon 1917 after the United
states entered the war may readily
do so by consulting the Monthly
Review published bv the bureau. the
issue for February. 1918, giving
figures for each month Of 1917.
Bulleul 226 shows that the up
ward movement of wholesale prices
which began i'm the latter part Of
1915 continued without Interruption
through the whole OF 1916. becOm.
ing most pronounced IN the closing
months OF the year I'm December
The weighted index number for all
the articles studied stood at lis as
compared with 50 In January, in
dicaung an average increase IN
wholesale prices Of nearly $3 per
cent, and the increase over the level
of prices i'm December. 1914. was
more than AZ percent.
Increases in 1916.
During 1915 phenomenal adj
yances we're recorded i'm the prices
Of many commodities belonging TO
the groups designated as farm pro
ducts food. cloths and clothing.
fuel and lighting and metals AMI
metal products In December -
compared with January there was
an increase of 90 percent i'm aver
age wholesale prices of farm pro
ducts. which include many food al
ticles in the raw state. IS percent
in wholesale prices of food. 40 pc
cent in cloths and clothing. 90 per-
cent in fuel and lighting. and AZ
percent i'm metals and metal pro-
ducts Drugs and chemicals. which
showed a steady increase during the
first FIVE months, fell 10 the lowest
point Of the year i'm August and Sep
TENDER. afterwards increasing until
m December they were two per
cent higher than in January House
furnishing goods were nine percent
and lumber and building materials,
seven percent higher ina December
than i'm January The miscellane-
Gus group. which includes such i'm
DOrtant articles as cotton seed meal
and oil. lubricating oil. malt. news
print and wrapping paper. rubber.
plug and smoking tobacco. whisky.
and wood pulp. rose steadily n
price being % percent higher IN
December thar i'm January. or G42
comparable Price series secured oy
the bureau fvr 1915 and 1915. 31S
showed increases I'm the latter year.
u showed decreases. and IL show
ed no changes.
Considering the figures for 1917
as shown by information published
iu the Monthly Review. pronounc-
ed increases took place during the
first eight months. the advance from
March 90 May being particularly
noticeable among farm products
and articles used for food From
June 90 August there were declines
in the food and the fuel and light
ing groups and considered i'm the
aggregate September prices were
below those Of the preceding Three
months From October TO November
most commodities increased sharp
iy I'm price but there were declines
in the prices of metals and metal
products and i'm drugs and chem
icais. Comparing December win
January. 1917. there was an al
vance Of go percent I'm AVERAGE
wholesale prices of farm products
% percent I'M food, 2S percent in
cloths and clothing. ~ percent I'm
lumber and building materials. so
percent i'm drugs and chemicals. 81
percent In house furnishing goods.
and 20 percent iu miscellaneous ar
ucles ON the other hand. there VS.
a decrease of 10 percent for the
fuel and lighting group and five (
percent for metals and metal pro
ducts For an commodities there /
was an increase OF Il percent IN
December as compared with Janu- I
ary. Average wholesale prices TO-
year 1917 were 90 percent higher |
than those for 1913. the year before /
the war began.
Figures published i'm recent num- /
oers of the Monthly eview fur
nish "a comparison OF wholesale AMI /
retail price changes among IS i'm /
portaut food commodities. These I
ugurcs show that since the begin
ming OF 1917 the retail prices Of 4
most 81 these commodities have F.
Huctuattd az "a relatively lower level. /
as compared with prices I'm 1918. I
than have wholesale prices. This is .
particularly true of baeou. lard
butter mills. eggs, -four. corn meal I
and potatoes. Comparing prices in .
December. 1872 with the average 4
for 1915. it Isl seen that only two /
articles OF the rs show "a large.
per cent OF increase i'm the retail I