The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-07-16
SURVEY CHANGES
| in LIVING COSTS
| OF WACEEARNERS
sEMI-ANNUAL REPORT IS
SUED BY BUREAU OF LABOR
COVERING MANY CITIES IN
INDEX RECORDED


WASHINGTON, July 16.-The
general index of cost of living for
families of wage earners and lower
salaried workers showed an in
crease of one percent during the
six months period ending June,
1884, according to the semi-an-
nual survey of the Bureau of La
Dor Statistics of the United States
Department of Labor. The index,
based on the average of the year
1918 as 1000 was 1864 as COM
pared with 1850 for December,
1888. The survey made by the
bureau covers 80 cities widely
scattered throughout the United
States.
For the United States as a
whole three of the six major
groups of items included in the
family budget showed an increase,
two showed decrease and one no
change. Food increased 81 per
cent, clothing 81 per cent and
house-furnishing goods 1.8 per
cent between December 1888 and
June 1884. Rent showed de-
crease of IL per cent while fuel
and light fell 81 per cent. For
the miscellaneous group of items,
which include medical and dental
services, drugs, hospital rates,
laundry, transportation, tobacco,
etc., no change was reported for
the total. Comparing June 1884
with June of a year ago ALL Of the
80 cities showed increases with a
rise of 6.3 per cent in the general
index.
/ In the 90 cities where cost of
living increased the greatest rise
occurred in Detroit, Mich. which
reported an increase of 81 per
cent. Pittsburgh, Pa, showed the
second largest gain by increasing
81 per cent. Washington, d. c.,
and Cleveland, Ohio. showed an
advance of 1.9 and 1T per cent
respectively. Portland, Me-. with
rise of only OIL per cent, showed
the smallest increase for any of
the % cities. Only four of the
cities showed a decrease in cost
of living. Chicago and New Or
leans each showed decline
of or per cent and Mobile showed
a decrease of 0.3 per cent. The
largest decrease in cost of living.
0.5 per cent, was reported for Los
Angeles.
During the six months period
rents declined in all but one Of
the 80 cities covered. The de-
creases ranged from OIL per cent
in Birmingham, Ala, to "a per
cent in Pittsburgh. Pa. Detroit.
Mich, showed an increase of 2.8
per cent.
Clothing showed an advance in
all cities. The smallest increase
reported was 0.S per cent in Buff
falo. The largest was shown for
Jacksonville where an increase of
3.8 per cent was shown. The
average advance for the 81 cities
covered was 81 per cent.
Food costs showed advances in
all but three of the cities. The
largest increase was shown for
Detroit, Mich, where a rise of TO
per cent was reported. Savannah,
Ca, and Scranton, Pa, each re-
ported an increase of o. per
cent, the smallest increase shown
in any of the cities. Jacksonville,
Fla, showed a decrease of OF per
cent. New Orleans declined IL
per cent. and Los Angeles de-
creased 81 per cent.
Average costs for house-fur-
nishing goods increased in 20 of
the so cities. These increases
ranged from GA per cent in San
Francisco to so per cent in Cleve-
land, Ohio. Decreases were shown
in two cities. Jacksonville, Fla,
reported decrease of 90 per
cent and Kansas City, Mo-, a de-
crease of IL per cent. No
change was reported for Seattle.