Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-09-16
Increase Of lO4 Per Gent
In Cost Of LiUing Sh0zyn
INV 1914, TO July, 1920

100 per cent; hens, II per cent; pork
chops, 101 per cent
In July, 1920, sugar cost more than
four and three-quarter times as
much, and cornmeal approximately
two and one-third times as much.
The average cost Of a few articles
decreased within the year ending
July Is, 1920, but these items were
not important in the total food bud
get.
In thirty-fve of the thirty nine
cities from which retail prices of
food have been collected monthly
since 1913. the average retail cost
Increased 100 per cent or more. The
largest increase reported was from
smallest was from Los Angeles, c l.,
95 per cent.
The estimated increase in rents of
SIS per cent between July, 1914, and
July, 1920, is based on figures. re-
ceived from 3G1 real estate BOARDS
and brokers, chambers of commerce
and civic organizations in practically
having a population Of $4,000 or oyer
in and in a number of smaller places.
Only one community, and that one
very small, did not note s>me ad-
vance in rents within this SiX-year
period. In slightly more than one
quarter of the cities reporting there
had been no change in average rents
since March, 1920, and in nearly one
half of them the increase had been
1G per cent or less.
Eighyt-six cities reported in
creases of more than SO per cent in
rents between July, 1914, and July,
1920. Among these were New York.
Chicago Philadelphia, Detroit Los
Angeles, Pittsburg, Baltimore and
Cleveland. On the other hand, in
Boston, st. Louis, San Francisco and
a mum Der of smaller cities the in
crease had averaged less than so
per cent.
All reports indicated a continued
shortage of houses and rising rents.
The. average cost of clothing for
warge-earners in the United States
decreased 4 per cent between March,
1920, and July, 1920. Clothing prices
in July were, however, 166 per cent
above the prevailing level in July,
1914. Between July, 1919, and July,
1920, the average increase in the
cost of clothing was 33 per cent.
Cotton Goods Advance
Cotton yarn goods, especially the
ued to advance in price between
March, 1920, and July, 1920. Hos
iery, knit underwear, mems shirts
and overalls, as we'll as gloves and
hats for both men and women, adj
vanced in price within the four
months period. The average price of
certain other articles declined. The
most marked falling off in prices
noted was in the case of mems and
Women's garments made of wool.
Wooden yard goods, shoes and wom-
ems blouses and muslin underwear
dropped slightly In price between
March and July.
I, rOif
bituminous coal were obtained from
us dealers in forty-three cities. Av-
erages of these indicate that between
July, 1911, and July, 1920, stove an
thracite increased 85.5 per cent,
chestnut anthracite 81.4 per cent and
bituminous coal 1881 per cent. In
as much as price increases for an
thracite in the districts where an
thracite is most important as fuel
were greater than the average for
the country as a whole and the same
was true of bituminous coal, 1t is
estimated tia. 3he total ncreasc IN
the cost Of coal Cor dJm,s1!c use BE-
tween uly, 1914, and July, 1920, was
90 per cent.
Light is a less tmportant item OF
expense IN the families cf ave. aae
wage-earners than is fuel. Gas and
electricity for domestic use increas-
ed in price about Is per cent within
the six-year period. Combining these
increases according to the impor-
lance of expenditures for each by
average families, it appears that the
total increase in the cost of fuel
heat and light combined was Sc per
cent between 1914 and 1920.
Changes in carfare were reported
from 153 cities. Fares had been
raised of 100 of these since 1914 and
had rem aimed unchanged in thirty
three 1t is estimated that the aver
age Increase in carfares for the coun-
try as a whole, between 1914 and
1920, was not more than 40 per cent:
Doctors fees and the prices OF
newspapers has been raised uneven
ly since 1914 Candy, tobacco, house
hold furnishings and supplies show
ed large increases in cost. More in
5urance was being carried, eh Oh II :
contributions had peen increased AND
organization dues had been raised
All of thes factors indicate that the
total increase in the cost of sundries
between July, 1914, and july, 19zO'
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