The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-17
ENGLAND SEES
COST OF LIVING
NOT LOWERED
Many Articles Advancing
in Price, Only a Few
Reduced.
FEAR WINTER INCREASE
Sugar One-third Dearer and
Coal Rising Owing to
Wage Dispute.
WINTER INCREASE

Special Gable 10 TIE NEW YORK HERALn
Copyright, 1890, bD THE NEW YoRK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau
London, Oct. It,
Reports received here from Amer
lea telling of a lowering Of the
cost of living are causing in
creased annoyance In England. with
prices here generally unsteady, many
articles advancing in price, while few
are being reduced However, there is
nothing here to warrant such optimism
regarding any considerable reduction
in the cost of living such as appears
to be coming in the United States. At
the same time prospects here are not
good for drive against the high cost
of living.
Price quotations from America con-
tinue to receive wide publicity here,
with perhaps certain amount of jea,-
ousy not unmixed with an element Of
hope, that the movement will be re-
Elected in England. However, there is
little cause for any such hope.
Hard Winter Ahead.
For instance. Board of Trade figures
predict a further increase during the
winter months. The opinion In trade
circles is that England will see the Sep
TENDER figure for food Of 1877 per cent.
over 1914 rising to 200 per cent. by the
first of next year. Already bread has
risen, and now there Is prediction of
another rise OF 33 1-3 per cent. Butter
has gone up about per cent. tea
dropped slightly. but sugar has advanced
more than 33 Is rer cent. since last
year. While home killed beef is show
ing a slight reduction in price, home
killed lambs have gone up. Coal has
Increased 81 ton, and dealers expect
further increase shortly owing to the
coal wage dispute
The Daily Cypress In an article prom
inently displayed asks why. with the
worlds wheat crop larger than ever
before, the price of bread here should
advance.
Fish and Mutton Cheaper.
On the other hand. there are certain
exceptions to the rule for the upward
trend of prices Fish shows a general
reduction of about cents pound.
Mutton from the Argentine has gone
down about so per cent. In year. and
American canned goods and fish are now
at the index figure of 1910 as compared
with 20.45 a year ago. Some other
articles also show declines.
During the past few days there have
been indications of material reductions
in the price of mems clothing, in many
cases the cuts amounting to 10 per cent,
making clothing for men probably
cheaper here now than in America. AS
exchange goes, a suit of the best quality
here now costs $50. while a good suit
can be had for about the equivalent to
500. These reductions are believed to
be due largely to the big stocks mer
chants have on hand.
Mems woollen underclothing in two
piece suits has gone up about So q suit
since last year, while cotton undercloth-
ing also shows an advance. Shirts which
cost So each last year now are priced
at 50. so. @and socks which formerly sold
for IS cents now cost $1.25 Flannels.
collars and ties all show a general adj
vance in price, but shoes are now to be
had at from $40 upward. while last year
they cost SIS and upward.
Inferior Grades on Market.
Lack of business combined with the
holding up of credit by banks has
caused manufacturers here to unload
large stocks of goods of inferior grades
in order to obtain cash. and these stocks
are selling freely.
report that business there is Stacker than
It has been in a decade, and that traders,
already finding difficulty in meeting their
expenses, are not buying in large guam
titles. At the same time traders say
the public is not buying more than Is
necessary. believing that a decline In
prices is imminent. They say the fall in
prices IN the United Stltes is making the
situation here worse because the Eng
lish public is waiting for the movement
to be reflected here, while there is no
indication that II will come.
The spirit In England is not the same
as that in America, for here there is
little attempt at any combined movement
against high prices. as has occurred fire.
quently In the United States. The Eng
fish public is complaining just as much
against the high cost of living. however.
but is not doing anything to improve
conditions But ut the same time II
has hope that the general cut In prices
In America heralds a general world
movement in this direction. and the man
in the street here expects to see II reach
England before very long.