New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-13

yesterday by the National Industrial
Conference Board. This is an advance
Of 10 per cent in year and of pei
cent since the preceding March, when
the board made survey. Its state.
ment, in part, follows:
increases between July, 1914, and
July, 1920. in the cost of each of the
five major items making up the family
budget were as follows:
Per cent
All items. ............s...... 1O45
onei.SI '''''''' 'e'''''' 20
CloCnlnS 400
Fuel. heat and light. IS
oundrles .'............... 80
1.-THE information on which the
above estimates were based was OBJ
tanned from a large number of retail
dealers in clothing and fuel and from
brokers and others in close touch with
the real estate situation. The retail
food price index numbers Of the
United States Bureau" of Labor Sta
tistics were used in estimating changes
in cost. Attention is called to the
fact that in estimating changes in the
cost of living retail quotations prop
erly weighted according to consump-
ton. and not wholesale prices, should
be used, since the latter, although they
satisfactorily reflect market condi-
tions, offer little direct evidence re-
garding changes in cost to the ultimate
consumer. General commodity price
index numbers may give an exceeding
~ misleading idea regarding changes
In the cost of living.
Big Food Advance This Year
Retail food prices in June and July.
1920, showed an identical increase
above the pre-war level and represent
an average increase of 119 per cent
above prices in the year 1913. Be-
tween July, 1919, and July. 1920, food
marked rise within this period begin
ming in April, 1920, and continuing to
June and July in which months retail
prices Of food were higher than any
ever before recorded by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
"The largest increases reported for
food items between July, 1913, and
July, 1920, were as follows: Sugar, 1872
per cent; potatoes, 1853 per cent; -four,
164 per cent; cornmeal, 1873 per cent;
RICE ia per cent; bread, l13 per cent;
hens, 107 per cent; pork chops, 101 per
cent.
"In thirty-fve of the thirty-nine
cities from which retail prices Of food
have been collected monthly since 1918
the average retail cost increased 100
per cent or more. The largest increase
reported was from Detroit, 1873 per
cent, and the smallest was from Los
Angeles, IS per cent.
Rent Increases
"The estimated increase in rents of
SO per cent between July, 1914, and
July, 1920, is based on figures received
from 361 real estate boards and brok-
ers, chambers Of commerce and civic
organizations in practically all Of the
cities in the United States having a
population of $4,000 or more end in
smaller places. Only one commu nifty,
and that one very small, did not note
some advance 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 10
per cent or less.
"Eighty-six cities reported increases
Of more than 80 per cent in rents be-
tween July, 1914, and July, 1920. Among
these were New York, Chicago, Phila-
de!phia, Detroit, Los Angeles, Pitts
burgh, Baltimore and Cleveland. On
the other hand, in Boston, St. Louis,
San Francisco and number Of smaller
cities the increase had averaged less
than 30 per cent.
"The average cost Of clothing for
wage earners in the United States de-
1920, and July, 1920. Clothing prices
in July were, however, 1853 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 yard goods especially the
cheaper and heavier grades, continued
to advance in price between March,
1920. and July. 1920. Hosiery, knit
underwear. mems shirts and overalls,
as we'll as gloves and hats for both
within the four-month period The
average price Of certain other articles
declined. The most marked falling off
IN prices noted was in the case OF
men's and women& garments made Of
wool. Wooden yard goods, shoes and
women's blouses' and muslin under
wear dropped slightly in price between
March and July.
Advances in Fuel and Light
Retail prices Of anthracite and BIZ
luminous coal were obtained from ll5
dealers in forty-three cities Averages
Of these indicate that between july.
1914. and July, 1920, stove anthracite
increased 85.5 per cent, chestnut an
thracite 8l.4 per cent and bituminous
coal 1881 per cent. Inasmuch as price
increases for anthracite in the dis
tricts where anthracite Is most i'm
portant as fuel were greater than the
average for the country as q whole
and the same was true Of bitum inou
coal, it is estimated that the total in
crease in the cost Of coal for domestic
was 90 per cent
Light is q less important item Of
expense in the families of average
wage earners than is fuele Gas and
electricity for domestic use increased
ein price about Is per cent within the
six-year period. Combining these in
creases according to the Importance Of
expenditures for each by average Yam-
lies, it appears that the total increase
in the cost Of fuel, heat and light com
bined was S8 per cent between 1915
and 1920.
Changes in car fare were reported
from 1853 cities. Fares had been raised
In 100 of these since 1914 and had re-
manned unchanged in thir&y-three. 1t
10 estimated that the average increase
in carfares foy the country as a whole
between 1919 and 1920 was not more
than 40 per cent.
doctors fees and the prices Of