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Greymouth Evening Star, 11 May 1931, Page 5

, A decrease of 36 points as compared •with that for the previous month, and an increase of 26.4 per cent, over that for July, 1914, is shown in the Dominion average weighted index number for the three food groups up to March 15, states the April “Abstract of Statistics.” The number on March 15 stood at 1352 —the basis of calculation being the average prices in the four chief centres during the years 1909-13, based at 1000. A fall of 41 points in the groceries group is mainly accounted for by decreases in the prices of potatoes and onions in most ‘towns. Slight decreases in bacon f prices caused a fall of 13 points in the dairy products group. Meat prices showed a fall of 46 points on February values, retail prices being now, on the average, only 5.6 per cent, above July 1914 prices. The March Index figures for food, fuel and light, combined with the February indexes for all other groups (which are only assessed quarterly)' result in an “all groups” index figure, 49.1 per cent above the July 1914, level. So it now takes £l/9/10 on the average to buy what could have been bought then for £l.