Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-10-05

LIVING COSTS AND WAGES HIGH
BY Frederic j. Haskin

MOIhtliS 1lCA are IOll SILL Ill IL Ills u
level, according Il two research re-
jorts made public by the National
Industrial Conference Board. This
) an association of organizations OF
Employers and represents millions or
sapital giving employment to mil
ions of workers.
The reports, which are represen-
alive of the boards constant effort
} place important economic data
efore the public and the interests
represents, cast new light on the
rend both of what it costs the avs
rage American family to live ana
that the wage Garner may have left
a his pay envelope when the bills
.re paid. The Investigations upon
which the reports are based We're
{ course, conducted separately, but
ne results are announced simulta-
oously for the reason that the sub
cts are so closely related. Sound
lnclusions as to the status of the
age Garner at the present time can
.Ot be reached unless both subjects
70 considered.
The survey of wages, hours inc
mployment in American industries
tho first of it's kind the board
IL completed since the first of the
ear, and the study of the changes
the cost of living is the first
ace last March.
VA housing shortage still exists
iroughout the country, II rents can
taken as an index. The report
hows that there was an average In
case in rents of three per cent
tween March and July of this year
the opinion of the boards X
rts, however, it is significant that
mt imitation seems to have subsided
tho larger eastern cities, such as
oston, Buffalo, New York, Baltl-
iore. philadelphia and Pittsburgh
| of which reported either no
langes or q very small increase.
Washington, despite an extensive
uilding program, is a pleasant
lace for landlords, for rents In TINS
ity showed increases of from eleven
) twenty per cent during the period
1d.cated.
In the middle west. twenty-five
itiea reported higher rents, twenty
indicated no appreciate
changes in rentals and Sex showed
actual decreases.
Compared with the pre-war year
of 1914, rent increases average l0o
per cent in thirty-two cities. Chi
oagoNhas been in this class since last
March and Detroit, Milwaukee and
Angeles are among n others
that reported doubled rents. The
peak of high rentals heretofore was
in the spring OF 1921, when the av-
erag for the country showed an
increase OF II per cent lgl4.
Now, however. a new record mas
been made, the boards survey snow
ing that the rent item in the budget
fax,i1xY To- Tf1IU was
rs per cent higher than III 1917
Living costs on the whole show an
increase of AT per cent between
March, 1922, and July of this year.
Between March and last July the
increase was 1T per cent.
However, the increase IN the COST
of living since 1914 is but 61.9 e
cent, and this represents a decline
of 20.S per cent from the peak OF
high prices In July, 1920.
The conference board has made
fifteen research reports on the cost
of living since 1914 and has secured
it's data always from the same
sources in order that sound IN
parsons may be made. The retail
food price index numbers of the
United States Bureau or Labor Sta
tistics were used as a basis for COM
putting the changes in the cost or
keeping the family larder fllled.
Furthermore, says the board,
changes in the various budget items
weighted In accordance with the
importance of the item IN the to-
tai budget of families before the
war, The combined increase thus
obtained shows the rise In the nine
period. Between March and
July of this year food prices in
creased 3.5 per cent ana in July
they were At per cent above the
1914 level but had declined S3 per
cent from the peak level.
It costs less to eat out west than
it does in the middle west and east,
according to the survey. Chicago
and Detroit with increases Of 81
per cent each in food prices since
1914, Richmond with SO per cent
and Washington with 6S per cent.
more than doubled the smallest in
reported, which was 81 per
cent for Salt Lake City. Thirty
nine cities reported FOOD price
changes for the nine-year period
ond that there should be differences
of from 20 to 81 per cent between
sons of these cities occasioned the
boards economists no little surprise.
On the whole, the smallest advances
in food prices was noted in the Far
West, the rise in the Middle West
and East being uniformly greater.
New York's advance from 1914
to July last was SO per cent. one of
the largest in the country. For the
present year. up to July the adj
vance was five per cent.
OF all the articles in the food
budget the lowly but Indispensable
carries off altitude record
In fact, when 1t comes to soaring,
the homely spud is almost in a class
by itself, the detailed study of the
boosts in food prices since 1914
showing the potato increase to have
beer 147 per cent.
Since July three years ago de-
oreases have been shown in the food.
clothing and sundries items of the
budget, and increases in
fuel and light. Between
March and July of the present year
only the items of fuel and light
showed any decrease but there was
no /change in sundries, including
amusements and other unclassif1ed
forms iof family expenditure. The
average cost of clothing increased
less than one per cent.
Clothing prices in general are
still 1913 per cent above the 1914
level, although this is 80 per cent
under the peak level of March 1920
when it cost III per cent more to
be clothed than it did IN the pre-
war days.
Turning to the study on wages,
the conference board finds that the
working mar is now getting more
for his money, which means that his