The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-08-29

applicable to all sections of the coun-
try could be reached. However, the
report concludes that an estimate of
Is per cent. is undoubtedly sufficient
to cover the increase in this item up
to the early summer OF 1918 for
very large proportion OF industrial
communities. In most localities the
greater part of this rise has taken
place within the present year. In the
main, Is per cent. is apparently
ample to cover the increase in wage
earners' rents in New York, Chicago,
Philadelphia, Boston and st. Louis,
which alone include several millions
of the country's industrial popula-
ton.
Informa ton from real estate asso-
Citations and brokers, chambers OF
commerce, charitable and other or
ganiZationS in large number OF
cities showed that in most commune
ties where industrial conditions have
remained fairly normal during the
war period, rents have advanced but
little. In some instances, indeed, they
have decreased. On the other hand,
in certain localities where extraordt
nary demand for housing accommo-
dation has resulted from ship build
ing operations, manufacture of muni-
tions. or other special war activities
as, for instance, in Bridgeport and
Waterbury, Conn, Quincy, Mass. and
Cleveland. Ohio, increases of 60 per
cent. or even as much as 100 per cent
We're reported. Such instances, how
ever, Were exceptional.
Complaints of protiteering were re-
ceived from several communities
where there had been an unusual de-
mand for housing facilities, and in
some cases official investigations had
been made by state or municipal
authorities
Clothing.
Information secured from retail
stores in cities well distributed
throughout the country indicates in
creases in prices of the most common
articles of wearing apparel ranging
from sos per cent for women's dollar
blouses up to 161 per cent. for mems
overalls. Striking increases occur
red in the prices of certain yarn
goods, where advances in cost over
1914 prices amounted, in a number
of cases, to more than 100 per cent.
Mems hosiery, selling for Is cents
in 1914, cost in June, 1918, usually
not less than rs cents and women's
hosiery selling for 25 cents four
years ago, brought AS cents in June
of this year. Knit underwear, the
report finds, had increased nearly 100
per cent. Women's shoes of stand
ard grade increased SS.5 per cent
mems So per cent. Women's kid
gloves which in 1914 cost 81 averaged
more than So in June. 1918.
The report places the average rise
in the total clothing budget, since
1914, at II per cent.
In assembling these clothing figures
the stores were asked to furnish the
1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918 prices for
goods retailing at specified price in
1914. In this way the element of
change in quality was minimized so
far as possible.
Fuel and Light.
Prices secured from coal dealers in
different localities frequently showed
advances OF 20 per cent to 40 per
cent. up to June, 1918, for ton lots
OF anthracite, and more marked in
creases in the cost of bituminous
coal, which is extensively used for
domestic purposes in some sections
of the country Manufactured and
natural gas used for household pur-
poses showed but slight change from
the 1914 rates up to April Is, 1918; a
number of communities reported a
decrease. The report concludes that
an average allowance of As per cent.
of increase in the cost of fuel and
light within the last four years Is
not only sufficient but probably lib
eral for most communities. 1t is
pointed out that, inasmuch as fuel
represents only per cent. to per
cent. of the total family budget.
further increase of as much as 20 per
cent. in the cost of fuel and light
would add only another / per cent. to
the increase in the total cost of liy-
ing.
Sundries.
The average increase in cost of
food, rent, clothing. fuel and light
combined, constituting so per cent. of
! the budget, was So per cent. For the
sundries item, which makes up the
remainder of the udget, the increase
was placed at so per cent. The re-
port points out that sundries fire.
quently represent what may be term
ed expenditure for living rather than
necessary cost of living and that
! there is great variation in the
I amounts expended under this head
/ Consequently, detailed information as
/ to prices would not be much more
useful than a careful estimate.
| For several of the principal ex-
penses included under sundries, such,
! for instance, as carfare, insurance,
! theatre tickets and tobacco, it is
/ known that the necessary increase in
cost has been less than so per cent.
I But in order to avoid any possibility
of understatement, an increase of so
: per cent. was allotted this item
The Complete Budget.
After analyzing the information OBJ
tanned from the different sources and
]