The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-09-23
PRICES ARE
STILL RISING
Changes in Retail Prices of
Food in the United States.

Changes in Retail Prices oil
Food in the United States.
The retail food index issued by
the United States Department OF
Labor through the Bureau of La
Dor Statistics shows that there
was an increase of 4.3 per cent
in the retail cost of food to the
average family in August as COM
pared with July.
Prices of 43 food articles are re-
ported to the Bureau of Labor Sta
tistics each month by retail dealers
in 81 important cities. From these
prices average prices are made for
each article. These average prices
are then weighted" according to
the quantity of each article con-
sumed in the average workingman' S
family. From January, 1913, to
December, 1920, % articles of food
were used in this index, but from
January, 1921, 43 articles are in
cluded in the index number.
Changes in One Month
During the month from July Is
1921, to August Is, 1921, q of the
AZ articles on which monthly prices
are secured, increased in price as
follows: Potatoes, "a per cent;
strictly fresh eggs, 10 per cent;
pork chops, cheese and cabbage, II
per cent; butter, 10 per cent; lard,
8 per cent; sugar, 6 per cent; can
ned tomatoes, per cent; ham and
oranges, a per cent; nut margarine,
3 per cent; plate beef, fresh milk,
oleomargarine, and corn meal, 2
per cent; and bacon, rolled oats,
rice, canned corn, canned peas, and
prunes, l per cent. The price of
chuck roast, hens, Frisco, cream of
wheat, macaroni, increased less than
fivetenths of l per cent.
Ten articles decreased in price
during the month from July Is to
August .15, as follows: Bananas, 5
per cent; leg of lamb, per cent;
canned salmon, flour, onions, and
raisins, 2 per cent; sirloin steak,
round steak, and rib roast, l per
cent. The price of tea decreased
less than five-tenths of / per cent.
Prices remained unchanged for
CNdpoI dCSu HIN, uIcdu, COIHlldhSS,
navy beans, baked beans, and cof-
fee.
Changes in One Year
For the year period, August Is,
1920, to August IS, 1921, the per-
centage decrease in all articles of
food combined was rs per cent.
The price of cabbage increased 80
per cent and the price of raisins,
a per cent. The price of all the
other articles decreased, as follows:
Sugar, 81 per cent; rice, so per
cent; crisco, 80 per cent; lard and
corn meal, 35 per cent; prunes, "a
per cent; flour and navy beans, 80
per cent; Oleomargarine, 20 per
cent; plate beef, q per cent; cof-
fee 26 per cent; eggs, % per cent;
chuck roast and butter, "a per cent;
nut margarine, % per cent; canned
tomatoes, Fl per cent; bacon and
cheese, 20 per cent; organges, 10
per cent; round steak and bread,
Is per cent; rib roast and pork
chops, II per cent; fresh milk,
cornflakes, potatoes, and bananas,
16 per cent; sirloin steak, baked
beans, and canned corn, IS per cent;
leg of lamb and hens, IA per cent;
evaporated milk, 10 per cent; ham,
IL per cent; canned salmon and
rolled oats, II per cent; canned
peas, per cent; tea, 7 per cent;
macaroni and onions, per cent;
cream of wheat, per cent.
Changes Since August, 1913
For the Swear period August
Is, 1913, to August Is, 1921, the
percentage increase in all articles
of food, combined, was SO per cent.
The articles named showed in
creases as follows: Potatoes, 121
per cent; ham, SO per cent; leg of
lamb and hens, 81 per cent; pork
70 per cent, fresh milk, GO per cent;
bacon "a per cent; round steak,
SO per cent; sirloin steak, So per
cent; corn meal, so per cent; cheese
AZ per cent; butter, As per cent;
rib roast and eggs, A per cent;
sugar, 81 per cent; tea, 81 per cent;
chuck roast, 26 per cent; coffee,
10 per cent; lard, ~ per cent; plate
beef, II per cent; and rice, per
cent.
The index number, based on 1913
as 100, was 14S in July and 1855
in August, 1921.
Changes In Retail Prices of Food
By Cities
The average family expenditure
for food increased from July Is to
August Is, 1921, in all of the 81
cities from which reports are
secured.
In Rochester, the increase was 8
Index Numbers OF Wholesale Pl