OUST OF LIVING.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XL, Issue 5777, 4 March 1912, Page 5

OUST OF LIVING.

KISK IX LKYKL 01' WiITISU l'liicjb:^.

I The high level of wholesale pruv.; which has been a feature of rw/ut years continued during "JU. and the Board of Trade index number, based ehieiiy on import and 'export, average values, showed an increase in thai year of O.(i per cent., as compare.l with the previous year, and of ."». 1. per tent, as compared with 1909. The tnd<■>: number for 1911 (10;).;!) was the highest recorded since 18Sd. As compared wieh 19.1.0, I lie itidi'.v nuniber for tho group of cereals rose ft'om 105.7 to 111.5; or S.,\i j-cr.

cent., while "where was an imre.a.se :>i "1.5 per cent, in the index number for the group contaifitig .sugar. Ua, coffee, cocoa, spirits, and tobacco, and of 1.2 per cent, in, thai for i-.1l the other articles included iv t! c general index number. TRK GREATEST ]\ CXI :\Sh;. The 'greatest proportionate increases were in the- prices of hops (15.1 per cent.), coffee {28.9 percent.), raw jute (20.0 per cent), block tin (28.1 percent), potatoes (22.5 per cent), British barley (18.G per cent) (lax (14.7 percent), and foreign barley (11.0 percent). The • increase in the price of. milk averaged only The average level of wholesale b".B per cent, for the year, prices of food and 'drink (including tobacco) in 191.1 "showed an increase of 2.5 per cent., compared with 1910. As compared with 1900, however, tho genera] level of prices of these articles showed an increase of 11.7 per cent. The retail prices of food in 1911 showed, on the whole, a decline of 0.5 per cent, compared with the prices obtaining in 1910. As compared with 1900, however, there was an advance of rather more than 9 per cent. JMUCK OF imMVh IN LONDON.

Accorxliny to the pa.rtlculu.rs obtained monthly as to the price of bread in London and 26 ot the principal to way of t-h-o .United Ivinjj(loni, there was in 1911 an average fall of 5 per cent, in these towns in ,the price as compared with 1910. At the end of December, 1911, the price was lower than in Deeemiber, 1910, at five of the towns and higher at two ;in the remaining 20 towns there .was no change. Returns received from co-operative sotieties each, quarter show that the aver, age price during 3 9.11. wits 1 per cent, lower than during 1910.