The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-02-18
UHOLESALE PRICES
MOUNTING RAPIDLY
Since the Latter Part OF 1915 There Has
Been Continued Trend Upward
in United States, Says Gov
ment Report.


ment Report.
study of wholesale prices during
1916 covering 342 important commodi
ties, or series of quotations, is contained
in bulletin 22G just issued by the bu.
reau of labor statistics of the United
States department OF labor, This re.
port is the latest one of series pub
lshed annually since 1902. In addition 10
! detailed data for 1916 average prices are
shown for each year back TO 1890. II
| is of especial interest as showing the
charges in wholesale prices during the
! second year of the war. while the United
States was still neutral and because Of
| the large amount Of detailed information
| which it presents. Those who NAV wish
to trace the movement of prices in 1917
after the United States entered the war
| may readily do so by consulting the
Monthly Review, published by the bu.
reau, the issue for February, 1918, giving
figures for each month of 1917
Bulletin 226 shows that the upward
movement of wholesale prices which be
gan in the latter part of 1915 continued
without interruption through the whole
of 1916. becoming most pronounced in
the closing months of the year In De
cember the weighted index number for
all the articles studied stood at rs a.
compared with 80 in January indicating
an average increase in wholesale price,
of nearly 30 per cent, and the increase
over the level of prices in December,
he.
During 1916 phenomenal advances
were recorded in the prices of many com
modities belonging to the groups dasig-
mated as farm products. food, cloths and
clothing, fuel and lighting, and metals
and metal products. In December as
compared with January there was an in
crease OF 80 per cent. in average whole
sale prices of farm products, which in
clude many food articles in the raw
state, 2S per cent in wholesale prices of
food, 40 per cent in cloths and clothing,
90 per cent in fuel and lighting, and AZ
per cent in metals and metal products. :
Drugs and chemicals, which showed a
steady increase during the first five
months, fell to the lowest point OF the |
year in August and September, after !
wards increasing until in December they !
were two per cent higher than in Jan.
uary. House furnishing goods were nine |
per cent and lumber and building mate
rails seven per cent higher in December
than in January.
The miscellaneous group, which in
cludes such important articles as cot
ton seed meal and oil, mbricating oil
malt, news print and wrapping paper,
rubber, plug and smoking tobacco. wills
key, and wood pulp. rose steadily in
price, being q per cent higher in Deem
Der than in January OF 342 compare
bic price series secured by the bureau
for 1915 and 1916, 3ls showed increases
N the latter year, - showed decreases,
md j showed no changes
Considering the figures for 1917 as
shown by information published in the
Monthly Review, pronounced increases
ook place during the first eight months,
he advance from March to May being
noticeable among farm prod
lcts and articles used for food. From
Iune to August there were declines in II
he food and the fuel and lighting 9
Toups, and considered in the aggregate
september prices were below those of Z
he preceding three months. From Octo- ;
yer to November most commodities were :
reased sharply in price, but there were |
eclines in the prices of metals and met 7
] products and in drugs and chemicals. e
December with January. 1917, I
here was an advance of 80 per cent in u
verage wholesale prices of farm prod I
lets, % per cent in food, % per cent in !
loths and clothing q per cent in lumber q
nd building materials, so per cent in I
rugs and chemicals, 81 per cent in house |
goods, and 20 per cent in mis- Q
ellaneous articles On the other hand.
here was decrease of 10 per cent for "
he fuel and lighting group and five per v
ent for metals and metal products. For q
II commodities there was an increa e $
I II per cent in December as compared q
18th January. Average wholesale pric,
1r the year 1917 were 80 per cent higher u
han those for 1913, the year before The a
ar began. q
Figures published in recent numbers of !
he Monthly Review furnish compari- U
IN Of wholesale and retail price changes d
mong 2S important food commodities al
hese figures show that since the be- k
inning Of 1917 the retail prices of most A
these commodities have fluctuated at W
relatively lower level, as compared &C
it'll prices in 1918, than have Wholesale Il
riees. This is particularly true of ba- bi
m. lard. butter, milk. eggs, -four. corn -
eal, and potatoes Comparing prices in bl
ecembcr. 1917. with the average f1r 81
"a. IL i seen that only two articles lie
the > show a larger per cent Of IN ca
ease in the retail than in the whole. as
Ile prices. These are dressed poultry az
n graduated sugar in New York In "a
ost Of the other months Of 1917 the AZ
tail prices of these rticles were reia- =
veiy lower than were their wholesale .