Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-02-26
CHANGES MADE IN
RETAIL FOOD PRICES
IN UNITED STATES
Reports Made By Bureau Of
Labor Statistics Show Thai
Average Fanaily's Expenditure
For Year AS Two Per Cent
Higher, January IS, 1920.
CHANGE m FooD PRICES
IN FIFTY SOME CITIES

According TO reports received by the
Buureau OF Labor Statistics of the
United States Department OF labor
from retail dealers in SO cities, the
average family expenditure for food
was , per cent higher on January Il,
1920, than en- December Is, 1912 TIE
cost in December was &c per cent
higher than ii had been III any preyi-
oas month These figures show an
Increase OF 8 per cent since January,
1919. and an increase Of 104 per cent
since January. 1919 The comparisons
are based on the average retail prices
Of the following articles, weighted &C
coriing o the consumption Of the ay-
erage family: Sirloin steak. round
steak, rib roast, chuck rcast, plate
reef. pork chops bacon, ham. lard,
hens. Hour. corn meal eggs. butter,
'ailk, bread, potatoes. sugar cheese,
rice coffee and tea.
Since january. 1919. monthly retail
prices of food have been secured for "A
food articles During the month from
December Is. 1919, to January Is, 1920.
% of the IA articles CT food for which
prices were secured in 1919 increased
as follows: Cabbage. SO per cent, Doea-
toes, &c per cent; graduated sugar %
per cent: onions. II per cent; lamb
and rolled oats, per Ger, each; hens.
per cent; plate beef, per cent; -four
per cent: sirloin steak. rib roast
chuck roast. bread and cream of wheat,
4 per cent. each; round steak and rails
ms. per cent each; canned salmon
and rice. per. cent. each; ham eyapo
rated milk. macaroni baked beans, tea,
coffee and bananas. ! per cent. each.
Bacon. nut margarine cheese and cris
90 each increased less than fVe-tenths
Of per cent.
The articles which decreased IN
price were. Strictly fresh eggs PEI
cent: butter, per cent: lard and can.
ned tomatoes. 3 per cent each; pork
chops. storage eggs and oranges, 2 per
cent each fresh milk. canned corn.
canned peas and prunes. l PEI cent
each.
CHANGES IN ONE YEAR.
During the year period, January
1919. to January. 1920. IS OF the AZ al
ticles for which prices were secured
on beth dates increased rs follows:
Onions. 120 per cent: cabbage 9S per
cent: pototoes, 50 per cent: granu
lated sugar. Is per cent raisins. 50 PEI
cent: prunes. 81 per cent; coffee Al
per cent: rice 81 per cent; ffoug. %
per cent; canned salmon. 1G pr cent;
Frisco. l. per cent; cream of whea,
and bananas. II per cent each; oleo
nargine and strictly fresh eggs. 10 pc
cent each; bread. per cent; fresh
milk and corn meal. g per cent each:
hens and butter. per cent each
evaporated milk and storage eggs. 4
per cent each: lard, , per cent; AMI
lamh and tea, per cent each. Arti
cles which decreased in price during
the year were: Navy beans, is per
cent;.plate beef. is per cent; bacon. l.
per cent, canned tomatoes. Il peq
cent; chuck roast and baked beans, ~
per cent each; pork chops, s per cent;
ham and canned corn. s per cent each;
round steak per cent; rib roast, &
per cent: cheese and canned peas, 2
per cent; and sirloin steak, nut mar
garine and oranges, l per cent each
The price CT cornhakes was the same
as in January, 1919.
CHANGES SINCE 1918.
For the 7-year period. January, 1913,
to january. 1920 of the "a articles
Tor which prices were secured in Jenu
AIRY. 1919, and upon which this COM
parisan can be based increased oTe.
200 per cent. Potatoes were 25S PEI
cert ard granuiatei sugar. 29T pel
cent higher than in January 1913
This means thai the price ii Jfsnu2 :.
1870. was more than Ihsee tines what
i. was III 1918 The price of nine
other articles more than doubled dn.
ing this period Pork .eloIfs increased
I'll ped cent: lamb. Ie2 per cent: hens,
40T per cent, rice. 11a per cent; corn
neal. I2s per cent: lard. 121 per cent;
strictly fresh eggs. 123 per cent; sfor-
age eggs, l43 per cent; and -four la
per cent.
Based on the average price for the
year 1913 as 100. the retail price index
unmher for the p aTtieies OF food eSor
The United States was 1877 in Deem
Ter. 1919. and 2e1 IN Janaary. 1920,
making an increase, as absye stated, OF
2. per cent in the menth.