Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-04-03
.C0NSUMERKEEPS
WATCH ON PRICES
Industry Is Raising Scale to
Meet Increase in | labor
Expenses.
BY CHARLES F. SPEARE.

BY CHARLES F. SPEARE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, April 3.-The con-
sumner Is deeply interested in the
movement toward rising prices of
manufactured articles. He appreciates
what this means to him.
Take, for instance, the advance in
iron and steel products of from So
to 81 ton which becomes effective Q
week from today. This follows i'm
mediately on the 10 per cent wage and
salary increases which went into effect
yesterday. The average consumer does
not buy either steel billets or steel
sheets, but he has to meet the cost
Of the articles into which these ele-
mentS enter. The portion of the con-
Stunning public that will be most af-
tected by the steel price advances are
the farmers, who will find that agri-
cultural machinery will cost them
considerably more in the next six
months than it has heretofore.
The increase in prices will not be
limited to the iron and steel indus
try. Wherever there is an advance in
wages paid by an industry. there is
likely to be an adjustment upward in
the quotation for that industry,s prod
uct. The one movement almost in
evitably creates its sequel. This is
where the consumer begins to feel the
pinch Of a program which has Jagged
seriously in recent months, from the
standpoint Of its managers, but now
appears to be getting a fresh start
and may soon be quickened by an
other advance in the price of gold.
Complaints Are Few.
The general cost of living has not so
far brought much complaint. The
domestic dollar has maintained a very
acceptable purchasing power. In the
case of the farmer, for example, 1t is
shown in the monthly report of the
Bureau Of Agriculture Economics that,
while farm prices have increased over
so per GEN. since the middle Of March
last year, the goods which the farmer
purchased have advanced only 20 per
cent. In February, his cash income
was s4l3,OOO, 900, against s254.000. 900
in the same month Of 1888. However.
the leading farm staples, like cotton,
wheat, corn and hogs, have been de-
Ginning recently and are somewhat be-
low prices realized early this year.
Such increase in the cost OF living
as has occurred since the country
went of gold has been readily and
somewhat unconsciously absorbed by
workers through increased pay checks.
Although they have witnessed an ad-
vance in a number Of the essentials
for living. they have been better on
in pocket because of the greater num-
Der of days per week employed and.
in numerous instances, by the I'M
provement in the minimum wage sta
tus. That there has been, however, a
decided upward trend in articles Of
food, clothing and house furnishings.
into which a considerable part of the
nav check goes, is proved by study
of recent Bureau Of Labor Statistics
reports.
Advance Outlined.
To illustrate: Butter. cheese and
milk, according to the latest figures,
are IS per cent Of the 1925 average
Of 100. compared with $50 per cent
in January, 1893; cereal products are
85.8 per cent, against 500 per cent;
fruits and vegetables, 60 per cent. as
against SO per cent. Meats, however,
are slightly lower, at 48.9 per cent,
than they were year ago.
Boots and shoes have advanced to
985 per cent, or close to the 1926
average, whereas they we're 1873 per
cent last year, and clothing has made
Jump to 875 per cent from below
81 per cent.
Cotton goods are up to 86.5 per
cent from so per cent and WOODEN and
worsted goods. at 84.3 per cent. COM
pare with 534 per cent in January,
1893. Anthracite has experienced a
sharp decline. Pressure against the
public utilities for lower rates has
brought down both electricity and gas
a number Of points during the year.
On the other hand, oil is considerably
higher.
If the consumer is thinking in
terms Of either building or renovating,
he must take into account a decided
change in the price list of the last II
months This is greatest in lumber.
which was below Sc per cent last
year and is now above 81 per cent.
If he paints his house he will find
that painting materials have gene up
10 points. If new plumbing or heat
ing is considered, the same spread
between the 1888 low and the 1894
high is observed. Cement has lisen
from 812 per cent to about "a per
cent of the 1925 level. Then, if The
consumer feels that he should add to
his house furnishings, he will discover
that these are at present around So
per cent of the 1926 level. Last year
they were 73.5 per cent.
Foods Up Slowly.
The big question involved in the
movement toward higher wages with
lower hours of work and the outcome
Of these, namely, a rise in the cost
of what the consumer has to buy, is
whether he will buy at the higher fig
ure or go without all except abso-
lutely essential articles. Fortunately,
the most needed of these, food prod
cts and fuel, have had the smallest