FOOD PRICES FALLING

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 March 1922, Page 7

FOOD PRICES FALLING

FURTHER DROP IN JANUARY. A drop of 32 points in the three food.groups on January 15 is reported in the ‘‘Monthly Abstract of Statistics” for February. The “Abstract” states:— The index number for the th'ree food groups as at January 15 (Dominion weighted average) is 1573, a decrease of 32 points as compared ■ with the preceding month’s figure (160'5), and an increase of 47.01 per cent, as compared with that for July, 1914. In the groceries group a rise of 37 points has been recorded —mainly due to all-round rises in the prices of tinned fruits and tobacco. The index number for the daily products group has fallen 181 points, owing to considerable decreases all round in the prices of bacon and butter. The fall in butter is as much as 5d a lb tn the case of some towns. In the meat group prices have remained practically stationary in most towns, and the fall of 16 points being due to a decrease in the prices of beef and mutton in some towns. A “thermometer” diagram, which is also printed, shows that, last Jannary’s prices for the three groups are about the maximum having been ■reached in December, 1920, sreice when there has been a steady decline. Tlie level in January, 1922, was 47 per cent, above-that of; 1914, and uie maximum increase (November, 1920) was 79 per cent.