The Washington times., 1934-09-15
le largest item in

sharply in Au-
gust and aver - -
aged nearly 3
per cent above SSa
July. This COW A
ers canned
goods, cereals, ,..,. 7SsZ%.s HSn.x
flour, sugar,
coffee, etc., but not meats, milk
and fresh vegetables.
Wholesale groceries in August
were l0.6 per cent above a year
ago, and were the highest in four
years, or since November, 1880.
Most of the items rose, includ-
ing cheese, cottonSeed oil, corn
syrup, coffee, canned peas and
corn, canned peaches, lard and
flour.
Only a few products were lower
in August, and these are Of in
terest to the housewife as sug-
costing possibilities of economy.
Among them were canned sal
mon, canned tomatoes, tea,
pruneS and ralS1nS.
1t may be well to keep in
mind that there has been an
unusually abundant catch of
salmon and that the pack will
accordingly be large. So if
meats and other fish get to
seem too high, one may be able
to help out by using more Of
this nutritious food. And abun-
dant tomatoes enable one to add
some of the elements the sal
mon lacks.
Possibly, too, q little less cOf-
fee and q little more tea may
help later on, but as yet the
latter is still higher compared
with q year ago than coffee.
OF course, these remarks are
based on wholesale prices. Retail
prices move more slowly, and
branded articles change less fire.
quently. SO you may not notice
much difference for a while.
But the United States Bureau
of Labor Statistics complies an
index of the prices of all foods
at retail. This shows that prices
paid by consumers increased
something like Az per cent dur
ing August, and at the end were
about ~ per cent above a year
ago.
According to this authority,
meats average 81 per cent above
last year, while cereals were up
81 per cent, and dairy products
up 8.3 per cent.
Then we have the National
Industrial Conference Boards IN
dex of cost Of living, based on
the retail prices of things labor
ers buy, including not only food
but also rents, fuel, and sundrleS.
This shows an increase Of 0.6 per
cent between July and August,
and of 3.5 per cent over a year
ago.
Beside the rise in food, came
increases in rents, fuel and light,
and clothes. (Only SundrieS de-
clined slightly, owing to lower to-
bacco prices. Gas and electricity
were reported as unchanged0
Compared with a year ago,
the board finds rents up 3.5 per
cent, coal up 6.1 per cent, and
clothing up 1913 per cent.
While all this is not especially
encouraging, / see no need OF
worrying about it. There is no
real shortage Of foods. Fresh
beef is likely to be highest,
and milk may feel the effect of
high feed prices. But fresh
vegetables are going to be
abundant, and there is plenty
of canned and cured meat in
the national larder.
A good deal will depend on our
standard of living. I find that
factory workers in New York
State show an increase in average
"CCh4y COL AAAA460 Va oSHOUU 172 ROA
cent as against a year ago. With
food, clothes, and coal up more
than that, the average employed
worker will probably have to go
slow on the less necessary ex-
penditures. But If he or she is
economical, the average employed
person should be able to get along
about as well as a year ago in so
far as necessaries are concerned.
There will be millions of un-
employed. however, and Uncle
Sans bill for feeding and cloth
ing the army of the needy will
be higher because of the rise in
the prices of food and clothes,
both wholesale and retail.
Chairman Calls
To~.~vorkSo~ ASA0o