Evening star., 1933-07-13
LIVING COST CUTS
HERE LAG BEHIND
REST OF COUNTRY
1914 Dollar Valued at 88
Cents, as Against 78 Cents
for Nation as Whole.
WHOLESALE COMMODITY
INDICES ARE MOVING UP
Local Decrease of % Cents Since
1920 Recorded by Labor
Bureaus Statistics.

the country as a whole in the general
reduction in living costs, report made
public today by Labor Departments
Bureau OF Statistics revealed.
While the 1914 living cost dollar here
was valued today at SO cents against
78 cents for the Nation as whole, the
reductions in the various items making
up the general index here in compari-
son with other cities show only
cent decrease during the last six
months.
At the same time the bureau reported
that the wholesale commodity indices
are continuing their upgrade pull and
today the value Of the 1926 wholesale
dollar is 48 cents above its base, de-
crease of cents during the last days
and slump Of cents during the last
80 days.
Dropped 2S Cents.
Locally, the living cost has decreased
% cents since this time in 1920; l3
cents since 1929: cents since this
time last year and cents during the
last six months, the bureaus report
showed
Reduction in living cost for the Ma
tion, the report revealed, has been %
cents since 1920; 18 cents since 1929:
cents during the last year and cents
during the last six months
The. bureaus figures show the per-
ceptage of increase from 1914 to the
present date in Washington for cloth
ing Is II per cent. rent II, fuel and
light %, household furnishing goods 55,
and miscellaneous items 10.
Food costs in Washington, according
to the bureau, are now l per cent be-
low the 1914 base. bringing the general
cost of living index here to 23.6 per
cent above the 1914 base.
Food Prices Increase.
During the last six months food
prices in Washington, according to the
report, increased four-tenths Of l per
cent, while clothing declined 3.4, rents
went down 4.3, fuel and light also was
reduced by "A, household furnishing
goods went down l. and miscellaneous
is, bringing general reduction here
of IL per cent.
For the Nation costs of living de-
clined during the last six months 20
per cent. Foods were 2 per cent lower,
clothing IA, rents 7.8, fuel and light
5.4 and miscellaneous "a. Household
furnishings goods were up two-tenths
of per cent. The survey made by the
bureau covered 80 cities.
It reported that during the last six
months food declined in "a cities, de-
creases ranging from two-tenths of l
per cent to per cent. Increases in
food prices ranging from one-tenth OF
per cent to 2.8 per cent were reported
in rifioS nf r1n
declined in 20 cities, the decreases rang
ing from 0.3 to 3.9 per cent There
were increases in clothing in three
cities, OIL per cent for two cities and
0.5 per cent for one city.
The bureau said rents declined in all
of the 80 cities. the decreases ranging
from IL to 14.3 per cent. Five cities
reported decreases in rent of more than
10 per cent.
The wholesale commodity indices have
been climbing steadily since the week
of March 4. Today the index for all
commodities was 672, in comparison
with 66.3 for last week and 651 for
the last week in June. The June, 1929,
index was 95.2, while for the same week
last year the bureaus statistics showed
a leveling of at 64.8.
Chemicals and Drugs Lag.
Only chemicals and drugs continue to
drag behind in the steady march up
ward Of the major commodities. This
commodity has been dropping steadily
since June II, when its index was re-
corded at 1873. Today it was marked
up at 73.
Farm products jumped during the
past week from 56.9 to 5s5; foods. 62.6
to 62.9; hides and leather products,
1873 to 1877; textile products, 622 to
Gal; fuel and lighting. 64.8 to 65.7:
metals and metal products, 1872 to 1919;
building materials, 759 to II: household
furnishing goods, 1872 to 1876, and mis-
cellaneous, 62.1 to 629
Meantime, farmers brought their pro-
duction costs during 1882 to the lowest
point in more than a decade. The De-
partment Of Agriculture reported today
that the average cost OF producing corn
last year, including rent. was 40 cents
a buShel, compared with 61 in 1881;
wheat an average of rs cents, or well
below average market prices last year,
compared with n cents in 1881: oats, So
cents, compared with AZ in 1881, and
cotton cents per pound of lint, or
slightly less than a year before.
Allowances for Labor.
The cost figures include allowances of
a sum for labor of farmers and a charge
for the use of his land.
The departments Bureau of Agri-
cultural Economics also gave compare
tive prices today from February of
this year to July 8, the day before
the processing tax on wheat went into
effect for ingredients in a one-pound
loaf Of white bread.
February. 1893. July &. 1898.
Flour .$l.19 500
Yeast .............. .25 .25
Sugar .............. .08 10
Malt ............... .05 .06
Lard substitute ,.... IL Is