Evening star., 1933-07-19
u. s. PRICE TREND
UP SINCE APRIL
Consumer to Pay More as
Government Spurs Drive
for 1926 Parity.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Although the cost of living in the
United States was 29 per cent lower
on June Is than it was last December,
the general trend since early in April
has been upward, trailing more or less
the advance in commodity prices.
The steady rise in wholesale prices
since June indicates, say Government
statisticians. that the consumer is pay
ing more now for food, clothing and
some other staples, and that he prob
ably will continue to pay more as the
Government spurs the drive for 1926
parity between the dollar and commod-
tiles.
Latest Tabulation.
The latest tabulation of retail food
prices by the Bureau ~ Labor statistics
showed an average ~ -reaSe in 81 rep
resentative cities of about 3la per cent
on June Is when compared with May
Is. On July the index number of
wholesale food prices was 629, as COM
pared with 81 on June IT. These index
numbers are based on average prices
for the year 1926 as 100.
Sirloin steak was retailing in the
United States on June IS at an aver
age price of 29.7 cents pound. The
average price in Kansas City. fairly
typical MiCWeStern city, was 268 cents,
a low mark for sirloln there during the
depression period. The sirloin steak low
for The United States as a whole was
% cents in April.
Kansas City was paying the same
price for its bread as the average United
States city on June Is, the figure being
sc cents a pound. That eQualed the
May, 1888 low for bread in that city
ILL y%ot
ga in the January to April period OF
this year.
The average price of potatoes for the
country as a whole on June Is was as
cents pound while Kansas City resi-
dents were enjoying their tubers at the
average rrice of 26 cents. The low
for the country in retail potato prices
was Ia cents in November, 1882. and
for Kansas City IL cents in August,
1892.
Kansas City Milk Cost.
Kansas City residents were paying
an average of 10 cents quart for milk
en- June Is equivalent to the previous
low there of 10 cents in February. 1882.
The average price of milk in the United
States was 1912 cents quart on June
is, with 10 cents in May last being
However. Kansas City was paying
more on June Is for its sugar. The
average price being SO cents pound
compared with 54 cents in the country
as a whole The retail minimum for
sugar in Kansas City was 5.3 cents in
Jure and July, 1882, while the United
States low was 49 cents in May and
June, 1882.
Wholesale prices of textile products,
which are virtually always reflected IN
retail prlces for clothing, have been ad-
vancing much more rapidly than the
Wholesale prices of FOODS. The index
number for textile products was 64.l
on July as compared with 58.7 on
June 10 and SOC on March 4.
Wholesale prices of hides and leather
products. affecting the shoe market,
advanced steadily from 800 on June
10 to 83.7 on July g. On March the
index number was down to 676.
Fuel and lighting prices moved up
in the June-July period from 608 to
65.7. building materials from 1928 to
IT; house furnishing goods from 70
to 1876, and miscellaneous commodities
from 595 to 629. Farm products, a
factor in the food price situation,
Jumped from SIS to 58.5 in the same
period
A 7.S per cent decrease in rent was
the largest single factor in the gen.
eral living cost decline of % per cent
between December. 1882, and June.
1888 In that period food decreased 2
per cent: clothing. IA per cent: fuel
and light. 54 per cent, and miscel-
laneous items. "a per cent. House fur
nishing goods increased 2 per cent.
po.t nocro,eo Saep
A rent decrease of 149 per cent was
also the biggest factor in the cost Of
living decline of SIS per cent from
June, 1882. to June, 1888. Clothing
dropped 63 per cent: fuel and light.
SIS per cent; food, 34 per cent; house
furnishing goods. 81 per cent. and
miscellaneous items. 3.8 per cent.
However, in the big drop from June,
1929, food was the leader with 37.5
per cent decrease in price. Clothing
prices fell 257 per cent; rent, 2s.2 per
cent; fuel and light, 1873 per cent;
house furnishing goods, 25.6 per cent,
and miscellaneous items, g. per cent.
AS compared with June. 1920, the
peak period living costs decreased 40.7
per cent. Clothing set the pace with
58.3 per cent; food prices were down
$50 per cent, and house furnishing
goods 49.5 per cent. Miscellaneous
itepS declipad orlv 2 4 nor cent