Evening star., 1920-01-07
D. c. LIVING COST
HIGH IN OCTOBER
Comparison Shows Prices
Above Those in Most Other
U. S. Cities.

Prices of food in Washington con-
tinued higher in.October than in most
of the cities in the United States, ac-
cording to the Monthly Labor Re
view of the Department of Labor. is
sued today. While the retail price OF
food in the United States decreased
Wo-tenths of one per cent in october.
as compared with September. there is
relatively little decrease shown In the
figures paid by Washington house
holders for food in october, as against
those in September.
Comparison Of Prices.
While Washington householders
were paying As cents pound for
sirloan steak during October house
holders in San Francisco were paying
less than 30 cents for the same artlcle.
and the price in st. Louis was 81
cents. while in New Orleans the price
was 81 cents and in Milwaukee ~
cents, the report shows. Prices in
Philadelphia for sirloin steak aver
aged so cents per pound and IN New
York AZ cents. Pork chops in WASH
ington during October cost ~ cents
while in other cities the cost was
from 2 to Z cents lower.
A general average of Washington
prices over those of the eighteen
other cities included in the report
would probably show to per cent
higher.
on the other hand bacon cost from
1 to cents less in Washington duT,
ing October than in practically all
cities and ham cost less here during
October than in four other cities
while lard, corn meal, baked peans
and cream of wheat generally cost
less in Washington than in other
cities. Bread cost fraction or
lt,r n
her than in several other cities.
Prices of eggs and butter were gen
orally higher in Washington than in
other cities. the report SHOWS, tne
price of butter averaging for the
month about "A cents. while eggs
cost about 20 cents in this city,
General Summary.
Of the forty-three articles for which
comparison was made by the bureau
during October, the following eighteen
articles increased in price during Octo-
ber: Throughout the United States
Eggs. IA per cent butter and raisins,
salmon, sugar and prunes, per cent
each: oranges, per cent; fresh milk
and bananas, per cent each; canned
milk. rolled oats, corn fakes, macaroni
navy beans and canned tomatoes, l per
cent each. Cream of wheat increased
less than 5-lO OF 1 per cent iouT,
nut margarine, bread and baked beans
remained at the same price as in Sep
tember.
Articles Decreased in Price.
The twenty-one articles which de-
creased were potatoes. II per cent;
cabbage. s per cent; lard, per cent;
bacon. ham and Crisco, per cent
each; pork chops, per cent; round
steak, chuck roast, plate beef and
onions, 3 per cent each; rib roast.
lamb, corn meal and coffee, per cent
each; oleomargarine. cheese. canned
corn and canned peas, l per cent each
The report says the cost of retail
food increased 4 per cent from Octo-
Der, 1918, to October. 1919. For the
six-year period, October, 1913. to Oc-
tober. 1919, the increase for twenty
two articles of food combined was 50
per cent. Lard shows the greatest
increase over 1913, being 127 per cent
higher than six years ago. Sugar has
increased in price 107 per cent. and it
was predicted today that December
figures will show a much greater in
crease as against sugar prices for De-
cember, 1913.