The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-05-08
living COSTS
Up IN BRITAIN
Rearmament Plan Forces
Rapid Price Advances,
Survey Shows

LONDON. May 8 (UP).-Great
Britain's rcarmament program Is
bringing q rapid rise in the cost
of living. a survey reveals.
Food prices are rising rapidly
and boots, shoes. clothes. furnl-
ture and most of the necessities
of life are expected to go up. IN
some cases by as much as third'
as present stocks are exhausted.
There will be a sharp rise IN
many prices toward the end OF
Nav, The cost of living index VIII
make an upward curve. Every
thing metal. from pins to frying
pans. and even wireless aerialS' Is
already dearcr. A.
Clothing and equipment for the
army. metal and other raw mate
rial for guns. planes and tanks
have formed heavy drain ON
supplies. As the arms program IS
carried out. the drain will IN
crease. and prices will continue 10
lean inward. The full effect has
NOT vet been realized. for buyers
for large stores. and middlemeh'
we're instructed to give heavy or
ders for certain classes of goods
as soon as the arms program was
announced. ,,.rn
TOBACCO ALSO INCLUDED
Tobacco. cigarettes. cnemas
and other luxuries will become
dearer as their prices are forced
inward in sympathy with those OF
basic commodities. ~
Briefly. the rearmament VIII
mean a return during peace 10
almost wartime price levels. win
consequent hardship for millions
of families. ,ov
sons in work, and the thousands
Of others outside the scope OF the
Insurance Acts. only between l.
$50 600 and 100000 wage earn
ers. representing, with their ram
lilies. 100000 persons, nave
wages governed by COLLECTIVE
agreements or Orders under the
Trade Board Acts, which fluctu-
ate with the cost of living lndeN'
And their wage variations lag De-
hind the rise in prices.
PRICES UP IL PER CENT
Since 1886 the wholesale price
of food in Britain has risen ~
per cent. The pound is now worth
70 the housewife only II shilhngs
and sixpence. by the standards OF
q wear ago. Here are the percent
age increase in retail prices III
two wears only, of some OF the
staple commodities of life: 1lour
is bread 81, tea 9, sugar Z, mllk
u butter 5, cheese 8. margarine
10. eggs %, potatoes SO.
As a result of the arms de-
mand on metals. aluminium wear
pots. pans. and kettles-has al
raadv been increased in prlce 10
the public by 10 per cent. ddnheu
and iron wares are up by s" per
cent. and enamel by 20 pei. cent:
Further increases in the price OF
these articles will soon be made
For a few wooden articles suGh
as sports shirts. prices to the pup
lie are up by 5 ner cent, but the
real increase admittedly is TO
come. Wholesalers are now ask
ING 10 to IL per cent more 1or
Owed cotton goods, and 5 per cent
more for rough cotton goods, sucn
az mops. The increased price Will
he passed on to the public next
month. ,.o,.
Cutlery is 5 per cent dearer
OWING to the shortage of raw ma
terials. Even pins have gone up
in price. brass by 10 per cent,
and steel by 5. Laundries, dress
makers and tailors, who use enor-
NOUS quantities each year, and
eventually the public, will be af-
fected.
Leather rose in price by 25 per
cent last October, following the
buying up of large quantities in
the previous month by the United
States. Leather is in demand for
military equipment.