Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-19
WHOLESALE PRICES
NOW AT 1915 LEVEL
Decrease for Year Totals 18
Per Cent, Says Labor De-
- partment Report.

Wholesale prices today were level with
the Labor Departments index number
computed in 1915. two years before the
United States entered the World War.
The current wholesale purchasing power
Of the dollar. according to statistics
made available by the department, was
placed at $l.447.
The index number of wholesale prices,
according to a department report, de-
creased more than 1l2 per cent III
September. This index number. which
includes $50 commodities or price
series weighted according to the I'M
portance of each article and based on
the average prices for 1926 as lOu;o'
declined from 70,2 In August to 6s.l IN
September. This is a fraction more
than 2 per cent higher than the index
number recorded when the marKet
slumped at the outbreak OF the Worlo
War.
Is Per Cent Drop.
When compared with September, 1880.
with an index number Of 84.2, the re-
mort said a decrease of ID per cent III
wholesale prices for the year has been
recorded A similar decrease was noleo
bv the department in retail fcod prices.
ON october /, Ethelburt stewart.
chief of the Department Bureau OF
Statistics, placed the retail purchase
power of the dollar at $l.l8.
The department reported decreases
IN the prices of corn, cows. hogs, sneep'
cotton. fresh apples, seeds, white po-
tatoes. sweet potatoes, tobacco and WOOL
caused farm products as a group 10
average 43a per cent lower in Septem-
her than in August. On the other nano'
the prices of barley. oats, rye; wneat'
eggs. lemons and oranges were hlgner
than in the month before.
The report continued:
Among foods price decreases were
reported for lamb, fresh and cured
oork. dressed poultry, coffee, corn
meal rice, raw and graduated sugar,
and vegetable oils, resulting in l per
cent decrease for the group as whole.
butter. cheese fresh and cured beef.
oleon argaine. canned pineapple. rye
-four and bananas averaged higher than
in August.
average price of hides and skins ana
leather during September forced the
hides and leather group as a whole
down more than 4 per cent. Boots ana
shoes showed no change from the
month before.
I'm the group of textile products cot
ton goods, wooden and worsted goods,
and other textile products showed
further price decreases from August 10
September. while no change took place
in silk and rayon. The textile group
as a whole declined 2 per cent.
Advancing prices for crude petrol
cum and petroleum products. together
with the usual seasonal rise in anthra-
cite and bituminous coal prices, caused
the fuel and lighting group to move
upward a little more than Il per cent.
No change was reported in the average
prices for coke.
Other Changes.
"Neglieible fluctuations in the prices
Of the items composing the metals and
metal products group produced little
change on the group as whole. Au-
tomobiles advanced slightly and non
ferrous and other metals eased OIL
slightly, while iron and steel and agrl-
cultural implements showed no change.
Lumber, brick, paint materials and
other building materials continued their
downward movement in September. No
change was shown for cement and
showed a decrease OF less than l per
cent.
Further price receSsions during Sep
TENDER for chemicals, drugs and phar-
maceuticals. mixed fertilizers and fer
tilizer materials caused the chemicals
and drugs group to decline about l per
cent Both furniture and furnishings
in the group of house furnishing goods
continued to decline in the month.
Paper and pulp and other miscel-
laneous articles advanced slightly dur
ing the month, whereas cattle feed and
crude rubber showed decided declines.
No change was reported in the price
Of automobile tires.
Raw materials as a whole averaged
lower than in August. as did also semi
manufactured articles and finished
products.
In the large group of non-agricul-
tural commodities, including all articles
other than farm products. and among
all commodities other than farm prod
ucts and foods. the September prices
showed a downward movement from
those for the month before.
Between August and September de-
creases took place in. 1871 instances, in
creases in 102 instances, while in 267
instances no change occurred"