RETAIL PRICE INCREASES

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27090, 13 July 1953, Page 10

RETAIL PRICE INCREASES

32.2 PER CENT. SINCE 1949 JUNE INDEX ISSUED (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 11. The consumers’price index for June, released by the Census and Statistics Department today, shows an increase of 32.2 per cent, in the all-groupa index since the first quarter of 1949. The largest increase is in the figure! fqr fruit, vegetables, and eggs. Index numbers of retail food prices (taking the first quarter of 1949 as equalling 1000) for the second quarter of this year (given in the order meat and fish: fruit, vegetables, and eggs; other foods; all goods) are as follows: April—l7l2, 1469. 1354, 1465. May—l7l9, 1562, 1356, 1489. June—l73o, 1560, 1359, 1493. The upward trend in fuel and lighting costs, which was particularly noticeable during May, steadied dur-

ing June. The all-goods index for 21 towns throughout the Dominion for the second quarter- of this year, with the figures for the first quarter in parenthesis, is as follows: Auckland, 1488 (1463); Wellington, 1471 (1444); Christchurch, 1465 (1439): Dunedin, 1452 (1425). Four chief centres. 1475 (1449). Hamilton, 1549 (1520); Napier, 1452 (1413); New Plymouth. 1469 (1442); Palmerston North, 1512 (I 486 Nelson, 1484 (1442); Invercargill. 1494 (1479); six provincial towns, 1494 (1465). Whangarei. 1552 (1520); Tauranga, 1548 (1511): Rotorua, 1552 (1526); Gisborne, 1461 (1424); Wanganui, 1507 (1490); Masterton, 1512 (1483): Blenheim, 1459 (1423); Greymouth, 1503 (1462): Ashburton. 1472 (1440): Timaru. 1449 (1422); Oamaru. 1507 (1492); 11 other towns, 1501 (1472). Index for the 21 towns. 1482 (1455).