Jackson County sentinel. (Gainesboro, Tenn.) 1914-current, 1921-06-16

So Per Cent and Clothing 60 PEI
Cent Above Pre-war Fiourss-Peak
In Cost Of Living Seems Definitely
TO Have Been Reached and Passsd
Clothing Took Highest Jump.
The downward movement Of the cost
of living has now been continuously
In progress for sufficient time to estab-
lish the conclusion that when prices
are again stabilized a definitely lower
level will have been attained, accord
ing to the indication of figures show
ing changes In the cost Of living Is
sued monthly by the National Indus
trial Conference board at New York.
After the signing of the armis-
tlce," ali official e. the conference
board said "the cost of food and cloth.
ing dropped, anu IN the spring OF
1919, despite the continued rise Of
rents and in the prices of fuel, light
and sundres, the total cost Of living
was lower than the preceding Novem-
Der A new upward movement then
occurred. From March, 1919, to July,
1920, there was a continuous increase
in the cost of everything making up
the cost Of living.
Since the summer of 1920 clothing
and food prices have fallen rapidly,
and In the autumn thls downward
movement was followed by decline
In prices of coal and Of .sundries.
Rents, however, continued to rise.
Peak 10 Passed.
Thus is appears that the peak Of
the rise since 1914 In the cost OF liv-
Ing seems definitely to have been
reached and passed. Since July, 1920,
there has been a marked and fairly
constant decline from month to month.
From July, 1920, to November, 1920,
the decrease was b.6 per cent; from
November to March, 1t was 12.6 per
cent; from March to May 1t was l.S
per cent, making fetal decrease Of
10 per cent between July, 1920, and
May, 1921. The decrease was there
fore, sharDest in the four months from
November, 1920, to March, 1921, Since
March there has been 9 slowing up In
the rate Of decline, but the tendency
is still downward.
III we reduce these changes to per-
centages OF Increase ~ the pre-wsr
level, the same movement u shown.
but the percentages are larger and the
change is rendered more conspicuous.
In July. 1920, the average cost of Nv
Ing was l04o per cent above the pre-.
war level; In May. 1921, n was snly
Sn7 per cent above the pre-war level"
According to the conference boards
aSaFss, out Of every dollar spent BY
Ihs average American wage-esrners
family, All cents Is spent for f0sd,
lit cents for shelter, l8.2 cents Or
clothing, SO cents for fuel and light,
and 2O.4 cents for sundries.
III we consider that a dellar was
worth 100 cents In July, 1914, 1t would
be worth, In July, 1920, only 20 cents
Of the July (1914) dollar, but In May,
1871, the decline In prices would have
restored 80 much Of lts purchasing
power AZ to make the May 1821) dsl
bar worth 60 cents Of the July (1914)
dollar. These changes In the purchas-
Ing power of the dollar are very IN
teresting for they form . true index
OF our real wages.
Food PrIoes Drop.
"ENood-Meats reached their highest
cost in the summer Of 1920. when 10
cents worth (prewar valued of siS-
loin steak cost 10 cents and 10 cents
worth Of rib roast cost IS cents. One
dollars worth Of potatoes In 1918
would require s606 In June, 1920.
Since July. 1890 the average cost OF
all food combined has decreased 30.6 |
per cent, but on April 10 1920, was
~ per cent above the prewar level
Clothing Clothing prices rose
higher than any other major Item In
the family budget. and reached their
pesk Of 1T per cent In March, 1920 /
From then descent was sharp and
rapid. until In the spring Of 1921 av-
aage eisthing prices were only 90
pey cent higher than in the summer
Of 1914.
Although the advance In the prsce
Il shoes has been more annoying and
more obvious than that for many 9TH
q items In the wardrobe, as a matter
e fact prices for moderate grades
of shoes never went 30 high relative
b O. prices OF q number Of other
items In the clothing budget. n
March, 1890. wonsn's So shoes cost
Se.2A a advance Of 2o9 pr cent:
st ne same time mems $50 shoes
cost pa, an advance Of 40 per cent