The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-11-05
Changes in Retail
Prices of Food in
The United States

The cost of the % articles max
ing up the retail food index, carried
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
of the United States Department
of Labor, decreased per cent in
September as compared with Au-
gust.
Prices of food articles are report
ed to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
every month by retail dealers in
81 important cities. From these
prices the Bureau computes
weighted" index number weighing
the price of each article by the
quantity consumed in the average
workingman's family. The weight
ed" retail food index is necessarily
limited to the antilles for which
have been ascertained the quantities
consumed, hence molly % articles are
included. These articles, however,
make op about two-thirds of the
entire cost of the food budget.
Since January, 1919, monthly re-
tail prices of food have been Sc
cured for 43 food articles. During
the month from August Is to Sep
TENDER Is, 1920, thep rice of % of
the 43 food articles for which prices
were obtained decreased as follows:
Potatoes, % per cent; sugar, 20 per
cent; cabbage, Ia per cent; coffee,
6 per cent; onions, 5 per cent;
crisco and rice, per cent each;
sirloin steak, round steak, rib roast,
chuck roast, plate beef, bacon, lamb,
flour, cornmeal, cornflakes, navy
beans, canned corn, and canned to-
matoes, l per cent, each. The
prices of oleomargarine, nut mar
garine, and cream of wheat, decreas-
ed less than five-tenths of l per
cent.
The Is articles which increased in
price were: Eggs, IL per cent; pork
chops, 9 per cent; oranges, per
cent; raisins, 7 per cent; bananas,
5 per cent; rolled oats, 3 per cent;
butter and macaroni, 2 per cent,
each; ham, hens, canned salmon,
fresh milk and evaporated milk, l
per cent, each. The price of cheese
and prunes increased less than five
tenths of / per cent.
Prices remained unchanged for
lard, bread, baked beans, canned
peas, and tea.
SHdHSeS Ill OHO ear
During the period, September,
1919, to September, 1920, the per-
centage increase in % food articles,
combined, was 8 per cent. Twenty
nine of the 43 articles for which
prices were secured on both dates
increased as follows: Sugar, &C per
cent; raisins, SO per cent; oranges,
32 per cent; rolled oats, 26 per
cent; bananas, 25 per cent; cream
Of wheat, 20 per cent; bread, 10 per
cent; canned salmon, 16 per cent;
sirloin steak, Is per cent; round
steak, flour and macaroni, IA per
cent, each; lamb and eggs, 10 per
cent, each; rib roast, II per cent;
hens and fresh milk, 10 per cent,
each; pork chops and ham, 9 per
cent, each; chuck roast, per cent;
rice, 7 per cent; tea, per cent;
butter and cornflakes, per cent
each, plat beef, cornmeal, canned
peas and prunes, / per cent, each.
Nut margarine increased less than
five. tenths of l per cent.
Articles which decreased in price
ling the year were: Lard, 27 per
cent; cabbage, % per cent; onions,
Is per cent; crisco, 16 per cent;
potatoes, per cent; coffee, 7 per
cent; cheese, navy beans and canned
tomatoes, per cent, each; evap-
crate! milk, per cent; canned corn,
3 per cent; bacon, oleomargarine
and baked beans, 2 per cent, each.
Changes Since September, 1913
For the 7-year period, September,
1913, to September, 1920, the per-
centage increase in % food articles,
combined, was SO per cent. Ten of
the 23 articles for which prices
were secured in September, 1913, in
creased over 100 per cent, as fol-
lows Rice, 1902 per cent; potatoes,
1O5 per cent; lamb, 40 per cent;
hens, 112 per cent; bread, 113 per
cent; ham, lis per cent; pork chops
and cornmeal, 119 per cent, each;
flour, 152 per cent; sugar, POI per
cent.