The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-01-27
RETAIL FOOD PRICES
STEADILY HIGHER
According to Quotations Secured From
Retail Dealers, the Retail Cost of
% Articles in December Was
Highest Ever Attained

Reports of lower prices are not borne
out by statistics of retail food prices
which are carefully collected apd com
piled by the bureau of labor statistics
OF the u. S. department of labor Re-
tail prices of food are secured from
retail dealers through monthly reports
of actual selling prices on the 18th of
each month, and are on identical
brands, grades and qualities of goods.
1T is necessary that prices of commodi-
ties be obtained in this way if price
quotations are to show increases or de-
creases at all accurately.
According to the figures thus com
piled, the retail cost of % articles of
food in December was the highest ever
attained, being &c per cent higher than
in November, per cent higher than in
December, 1918, and 50 per cent higher
than in December, 1913 This compari-
son is based on the average retail prices
of the following articles, weighted ac-
cording to the consumption of the aver
age family: Sirloin steak, round steak,
rib roast, chuck roast, plate beef, pork
chops, bacon, ham, lard, hens, flour,
corn meal, eggs, butter, milk, bread,
potatoes, sugar, cheese, rice, coffee and
tea.
During 1919 monthly retail prices of
food have been secured for A food ar
ticles. During the month from Nov. 10
to Dec. Is, % of these "A articles in
creased in, price as follows: Cabbage,
&c per cent: onions, II per cent; gran
ulated sugar, l6 per cent; strictly fresh
eggs, / per cent; cream of wheat and
potatoes, 10 per cent, each; ralslns,
per cent; -four, per cent; butter and
storage eggs, 3 per cent. each; fresh
milk and canned salmon, per cent,
each; lamb, evaporated milk, oleomar-
parine, cheese. macaroni, rice, canned
peas, and bananas, | per cent, each.
Rib roast and chuck roast increased
less than five enths of per cent, each.
The 10 articles which decreased in
price were Pork chops, 10 per cent;
lard and oranges, per cent, each; tea
and prunes, 3 per cent, each; slrloin
steak, round steak, bacon, ham and
navy beans, ! per cent, each; and hens
and Frisco, less than five-tenths of
per cent. Plate beef, nut margarine,
bread cornmeal. rolled oats, cornfakes,
baked beans, canned corn. canned to-
matoes and coffee remained the same
in price as in November.
Changes in One Year.
During the year period from Decem-
Der. 1918. to December, 1919, 10 Of the
% articles for which prices were Sc
cured on both dates, increased as fol-
lows: Onions, los per cent; prunes, %
per cent; coffee, 81 per cent; ralsins,
as per cent; potatoes and graduated
sugar, "a per cent, each; rice, q per
cent: canned salmon, l6 per cent; Hour,
Is per cents strictly fresh eggs, II per
cent; storage eggs, per cent; butter,
I per cent; fresh milk. 0 per cent
bread, 4 per cent; corn meal and tea,
? per cent, each; hens and lard, 2 per
cent. each; and cheese, per cent. The
10 articles which decreased in price
during the year were: Navy beans, 81
per cent; plate beef, Is per cent; ba-
con. IL per GENT; chuck roast, ii per
cent: pork chops, 5 per cent; ham and
round steak, per cent, each: RIB roast,
; per cent: sirloin steak, 3 per cent;
and lamb 9 per cent.
Changes Since 1913.
During the six wear period from De
cember, 1918. to December, 1919, six OF
the "a articles for which prices were
secured in December, 1913, and upon