The Washington times., 1920-09-13
/. C.L. JUMPS
19P.C.|N YEAR
Increase OF 5 Per Cent Since
March Shown in Nation
Wide Survey.

In an investigation covering Balti-
: more, New York. Chicago and other
large cities, conducted by the Ma
tional Industrial Conference Board.
4 the cost of living was found TO have
increased 1o4.5 per cent from July.
1914, to July, 1920.
This figure is based on the boards
! most recent study made public yes
\ terday. II shows an Increase or al
most 10 per cent during the last year
and OF per cent since March, when the
boards last survey was made.
The five major items making up the
family budget have shown widely
! varying increases during the six-year
period. Clothing topped the list with
an Increase of 166 per cent. while food
was second with a rise OF 11S per
! cent. Fuel, heat and light increased
&C per cent; shelter took jump Of
S8 per cent, and sundries rose S6 per
cent since 1914.
DATA FROM MANY SOURCES.
Information upon which the above
estimates were based was obtained
| from retail dealers in clothing and
! fuel and from brokers and others in
! close touch with the real estate situa-
| tion. The retail food price index
| numbers were used in estimating
y
In the twelve-month period ended
/ last July food prices increased is per
cent, the most marked rise beginning
In April and continuing to June and
July. in which months retail prices of
! food were higher than ever before
recorded by the Bureau OF Labor Sta
tistics.
The largest increases reported for
food items between July. 1913, and
1 L oil In
3s2 per cent; potatoes, 36s per cent;
! Hour, 164 per cent; cornmcal, 1873 per
cent; rice, ia per cent bread, 113 per
cent; ham, 112 per cent: lamb, 109 per
sent; hens, l07 per cent, and pork
chops. 101 per cent.
The average cost of few articles
decreased during the year ended July
jl5, 1920, but these items were not i'm
! portant in the total food budget.
In thirty-five OF the thirty-nine
cities from which retail prices have
been collected monthly since 1913 the
average retail cost~increased 100 per
cent.
RENTS UP 50 PER CENA
Baltimore is among the eighty-six
cities reporting increases of more
than so per cent in rents between
tJuly 1914, and July. 1920. Others
were New York, Chicago. Philadel-
phia, Detroit, Los Angeles. Pitts
burgh and Cleveland. Boston, st.
Louis. San Francisco and a number
of smaller cities had increases averag-
ting less than SO per cent. All reports
indicated continued shortage OF
houses and rising rents.
The average cost Of clothing de-
creased per cent between March
and July of this year. Clothing
prices In July, however, were 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 SO per cent.
Cotton yarn goods. especially the
cheaper and heavier grades, continued
to advance in price between March
and July of this year.
Hosiery, knit underwear, mems
shirts and overalls. as well as gloves
and hats for both men and women,
advanced in price during the four
month period. Other articles, such as
mems and women's garments made of
wool, wooden yard goods, shoes, wo-
mems blouses and muslin underwear
dropped slightly in price between
March and July.
Averages Of retail prices Of coal
showed that from 1914 to 1920 stove
anthracite increased S5.5 per cent;
chestnut anthracite S1.4 per cent, and
bituminous coal 1881 per cent. Gas
and electricity for domestic use in
creased in price about Is per cent dur
ing the six-year period.
Baltimore was one of the 12O cities
which reported an increase in carfare,
40 per cent increase taking place
in that city. OF the 1853 cities studied
from this angle, fares had been raised
in 100 since 1914 and had remained
unchanged in SO. 1t is estimated
that the average increase in carfares
for the country as whole since
1914 was not more than 40 per cent.
Doctors fees and the prices of
newspapers have been increased un-
evenly in the last six years. Candy,
, tobacco, household furnishings and
supplies showed large increases in
cost. More insurance is now being
carried, church contributions have
Le,a iracreassd nd n q ION diIes