Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-07-26
COST Of LIVING
SCARED IN JUNE
To NEW HEIGHTS.
Cost of u Articles Making
Up the Retail Food Index
Attained a Further High
Record, Last Month.

Especial Correspondence to The J0urnai.)
Washington, July 25.--The cost
of the twenty-five articles making
up the retail food index carried on
by the bureau of labor statistics
of the United States department of
labor attained a further high rec
ord in June. On June Is the av-
erage family expenditure for these
articles was 2 per cent higher than
on May Is. The expenditure in May
was . per cent higher than in
April: and in April the expenditure
was per cent higher than in
March. The figures show, there
fore, a steady increase in the aver
age family expenditure for these
food articles, the expenditure in
June, 1920, being 8 per cent above
the expenditure in January, 1920.
Prices of food articles are re-
ported to the bureau of labor statis-
tics every month by retail dealers
in fifty-one important cities. From
these prices the bureau computes
weighted" index number weight
ing the price of each article by the
quantity consumed in the average
workingman's family. The weight
ed" retail food index is necessarily
limited to the articles for which
have been ascertained the quanti-
ties consumed, hence only twenty
two articles are included. These
articles, however, make up about
one-third of the entire cost of the
food budget
Since January, 1919, monthly re-
tail prices of food have been Sc
cured for forty-three food articles.
During the month from May Is to
June'15, 1920, the prices of twenty
three of the Forty three food art-
cles for which prices were obtained
increased as follows: Round steak,
potatoes and bananas, per cent,
each. sirloin steak and ham, 6 per
cent. each. chuck roast and sugar,
: per cent, each; rib roast A per
cent: canned salmon, bread, and
corn meal, 3 per cent, each. bacon
and evaporated milk, 2 per cent,
each; plate beef, eggs, flour, corn,
flakes, macaroni, onions, canned
meas, canned tomatoes, and ralslhs,
per cent each. Creamo wheat
less than five-tenths or
| per cent, ,.,
The fourteen articles which de-
creased in price were: Cabbage, II
oer cent; oranges, ! per cent: put
Ter, G per cent; pork chops, per
cent; cheese, per cent; mems,
ard, and crisco, 2 per cent eachi
amb, oleomargarine, nut margar
ne, and baked beans, | per cent,
zach. Tea and prunes decreased
ess than five-tenths of per cent
Prices remained unchanged 1or
'resh milk, rolled oats, rice, navy
,eans, canned corn, and coftee.
Changes i'm One Year.
During the period June, 1919, 10
Tune. 1920, thirty-one Of the FOR
y-three articles for which prices
we're secured on both dates IN
.reased as follows: Potatoes, III
,er cent; sugar, 1872 per cent; rals-
ms, GA per cent; rice, 30 per cent
oiled oats, "a per cent; bananas
4 per cent; cream of wheat, 20
Ter cent; canned salmon and
read. 10 per cent each; flour and
ranges, II per cent, each; coftee,
5 per cent; prunes, IL per cent
orn meal, 10 per cent; fresh milk
nd cabbage. 8 per cent; lambs, |
ems and macaroni, per cent |
ach: sirloin steak, Z per cent; ham
nd butter, per cent. each; round
teak and tea, per cent, each;
risco, 4 per cent; rib roast and
3 per cent, each;
nut margarine and corn flakes,
er cent, each; canned peas, / per
ent. Eggs increased less than flVe-
enths of 1 per cent.
Articles which decreased in price |
uring the year were: onions, 2S |
err cent; lard, II per cent; pate |
eef, 10 per cent; bacon, g per
emit; pork chops and tomatoes,
err cent, each; evaporated milk,
aked beans and canned corn, per |
ent, each; navy beans. 2 per cent,
buck roast and cheese, per cent
ach.
Changes since June 1913.
For the seven-year period, June, |
913, to June, 1920, nine OF the
articles for which
rices were secured in June, 1913,
lcreased over 100 per cent, as fol-
,ws: Hens. Ito per cent; bread,
II per cent; lamb, ia per cent;
am, 115 per cent; rice. III per
ent; corn meal, 1913 per cent;
our, 1877 per cent; sugar, 404 per
emit: and potatoes, Az per cent.
The large percentage increases
lown for flour, sugar and potatoes
lean that in June, 1920, flour cost
Iore than two and one-half times
hat it did, in June, 1913; sugar
Dst five times as much and pota-
,es approximately five and three