The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-07-08

64bASS, &S WG11 AS 16TL1 ulCOaIlS, QuI" ing May, 1o41 stood at $1.18 com- pared with $1 in the same 1940 month. This item in April, 1941 was $1.14 against $1 in April, 1040. Other income in March was SLOT, in Feb- ruary $1.0l and In January $l.08, all of these comparisons being made with $l for the like month of the previous year.
 Dividend and interest payments in May, 1941 were SLOT as con- trasted with $1 in that month a year previous. Investment income in both April and March was at $1.04 compared with $1 in each of those months during 194O. Such disburse- ments in February were at $1.05 and in January at $1.06 against $l in the like months of last year.
 Miscellaneous Items Again Lead
 Living Cost Rise
 "When MT. and Mrs. American Public took their greater cash in- comes to buy needs and desires they found prices higher than year ago, but the increase surprisingly mod crate.
 Miscellaneous items, largely rep resented by speciality goods, includ- ing imports, and services during May, 1941 cost SLOT against $1 in May, 1940. This advance of seven cents on the dollar largely mirrors higher costs, chiefly higher wages, salaries and taxes. This group in- cludes every living necessity and luxury, other than food, clothing and shelter. It takes in amusements, haircuts, 1nanicures, and sporting goods, etc. Miscellaneous items, which for many months until March, 1o41 showed no change, were $1!O5 in April against $1 a year earlier.
 Second Food Advance This Year
 Food, which always takes the largest single slice of the average household budget, was up two cents on the dollar during May compared with the same month of a year ago. This is the second time this year, and the second successive month, that food quotations were higher than year earlier.
 Food of the same quality and quantity that cost only $1 in May, 1940 cost $l.02 in May, 1941. Food in April, 1940 that could be had for $1 cost $l.Oi in April, 194l. During March, Febrbuary, January and De- cember respectively, food prices were unchanged from levels prevailing in the same months of the breeding years.
 Clothing Same As in May, 194O, but
 Lower Than in April, 1941
 "Wearing apparel for men, women and children in May, 194l was un- changed from that of May, l940. In April, for the first time this year, clothing was $l.ol compared with $l in April, 1940. During the first three months of 104l clothing was un- changed from those same 1s4O months.
 Rents in May, 1o4l were sl.o1 compared with $l in the same month of year earlier, taking the nation as a whole, but almost any kind 10 shelter in a newly created defense center, or even in an estab- AASAAC0 SAVy VI VVWA WIlGE6 Qe4GIlS OrS ders brought Q sudden influx of population, brought highr prices in May, 194l than 1t did in May, ls4O. Rents in April, 194l were $l.Ol against $l in April, 194o, but rents in March, February and January were unchanged compared with the same months year ago."
 How Real Income" Is Figured
 MT. and Mrs. Public, in this study. receive income from wages, salaries, investments and other sources in proportion to the national distribu- tion of such payments. Their living expenditures likewise are those of average householders. Their "real income" or buying power, is their actual ability to buy regularly need- ed goods and services.
 Real income" is not a mere sub- traction of cash income from cash outgo, which would be an index of savings rather than ''real income" but an average relative figure of in- come and outgo designed to show how the cost of living affects the adjusted dollar income.