Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-08-16
Prices of Food and Cloth
ing Almost Doubled
Since Year 1914.
FOOD RANKS THIRD
IN TOTAL INCREASE
Clothing and House Furnishings Show
Greatest Advance, According to
Figures Compiled by Federal De-
partment of labor-laree Cities of
Country Hit Hardest-New York
Most Expensive in Which to Live.

Washington, Aug. 16-General in
crease of about so per cent in, the
cost of living during the period from
December, 1914, to June, 1919, were
shown in tables made public here
today by the department of labor. The
tables were based on Investigations in
various representative cities over the
country. In every instance greatest
increases were reported in. the prices
of clothing and house furnishings. Food
advances were of third Importance.
Figures for the period December, 1917.
to June, 1919 show general average in
creases of about 20 per cent.
Householder Hard Hit.
Total increases in the two items OF
food and clothing without considering
other items in family budgets showed
enormous increases from December,
1914. to June, 1919 The advance in
the case % Chicago being 157.07 per
cents. The same items went up 12o
per cent in detroit; 125 per cent in
Cleveland: 140 per cent In Buffalo; lo3
per cent in Portland, Maine: 137 per
cent in Boston; isl per cent In New
York; 135 per cent in Philadelphia: 12S
per cent in Baltimore; 104 per cent In
Norfolk; 146 per cent in Jacksonville,
and 10 per Gent in Seattle; 12S per
cent in Los Angeles, and lab per cent
in San Francisco and Oakland, Callf.
Doubled Exports Price Factor.
A tremendous pump In exports has
an important bearing upon the high
cost of living, and hence upon the In
dustrial situation.
America today is sending out OF the
country nearly twice as much goods as
a year ago. In June our exports
reached the record breaking total OF
1913, ,0o0, 900, as compared with s4ss,-
600, 600 in June, 1918. We imported
s293, 900, 900 of goods, as against $780,
900, 900 year ago.
For the month Of July the official
figures are expected to show that eX-
ports passed the billion dollar mark.
Food makes up large portion OF
the trade. OF the June exports. Az
per cent were foodstuffs, with total
value of 1856, 100000; 43 per cent was
partly Or wholly manufactured goods;
II per cent was crude materials.
Warehouses Are Bursting.
From the east comes word that stor-
age plants and warehouses are over,
flowing with commodities. In Ne"
York spare lofts are filed with articles
designed for overseas trade. Govern
ment officials declare spectators are
piling up vastly more goods than
Europe can take; that they are over
estimating the needs and the demand
abroad. and that part of Amerca
"high cost" is due to the hopes OF
prontcers to gouge fortunes out of the
wrold markets.
Walker D. Hines, director general OF
railroa dsS recently reported that during
the week ended July 30 total or 5,s2o
cars of commercial export freight was
received at north Atlantic ports. as
compared with 1,607 carloads for the
same week nN91S. It was an Increase
of 262 per cent. Deliveries to SHIPS
for the week ended July 80 Increased
1854 cars, or 252 per cent over the
same week last year.
Stores Exceed Demand.
Food. raw materials. machinery are
Europes greatest need, but some COM
petent authorities insist the huge
quantities Of supplies piled up in the
warehouses are far in excess of for
eign demands. The reports are thai
the ships are unable to keep pace with
the movement of stuffs to seaboard
points, despite an astonishing burst
OF speed in overseas commerce as
shown by the following:
In June the United States exported
$11S,33O 600 of breadstuffs -as against
$54.472 900 in June last year.
We exported in the same month
meat and dairy products worth $174,-
$4,000, a great advance over the ST.
$4,000 worth sold overseas In June,
1918. at
Cotton exports Jumped June saw
1,415.000 of the staple exported. as
compared with $45,0o0,000 worth in the
same month last year.
In meats. pork products had the
great call this to lubricate f1ve years
fatless Europe, In June 172,441,0O0
pounds, III bacon went abroad. AZ
against s7,0oo,co0 pounds the June be-
fore
Hams More Than Double.
Our June exports OF hams and shoul-
ders were 96,S54.00O pounds. or more
than double the 47.465,000 pounds
shipped in June, 1918.
Lard exports were 114.32s,0 900 pounds
in June this year. as against 29.2sS,-
900 pounds in June last year, while
picked pork jumped to 3,131.00U
pounds exported, as compared with
2.2s3.000 for the corresponding month
in 1918.
Beef exports fell off. They were
lower than the year before. but pork
and its products more than doubled.
AS to condensed milk, the United
States sent 114.s35,ooo pounds abroad