REDUCED COST OF LIVING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 398, 16 May 1922, Page 6

REDUCED COST OF LIVING.

FURTHER DECREASE SHOWN. In the official Abstract of Statistics just published the index number, ill connection with retail prices, for the three food groups (Dominion weighted average) as at March 15th is 1511. a decrease of 38 points-as compared with the preceding month's figure (1549). and an increase of 41.21 per cent, as compared with thai for July, 1914. The fall of 60 points in the groceries group is duo mainly to an all-round fall in the prices of bread and flour. In the dairy produce group the index number has fallen 33 points—due mainly to a decrease in the price of milk in some towns, and of bacon in most towns.

The fall of 10 points in the meat group is accounted for by a fall in the prices of beef and mutton joints in several'towns.

OTHER COL NT R IRS

The latest available figures for the prill cipal countries publishing statistics ot re tail prices of food are as shown in the fol lowing table

The diagram which accompanies the figures shows the course of the gradual rise in retail prices from July, 1914. to December, 1920, and the subsequent fall to March, 1922. According to the diagram, in December. 1920. prices reached the peak (79), and have been gradually dropping since that date until they are now at practically the same level as they were in August. 1918.

( ompanson bet ween July, 1914 Increase Country and ] Dor cent. South Africa Australia New Zealand ... ... Dec, 1921 ... Mar., 1922 ... .Mar.. 1922 25 41 41 Canada United States ... ... Jan.. 1922 . Dee.. 1921 49 47 Holland (Amsterd India (Bombay) am) Jan., 1922 . . Feb., 1922 52 60 United Kingdom Sweden Denmark Norway ... ... France (Paris) ... Belgium . Mar., 1922 ... Jan.. 1922 ... Jan.. 1922 . . Doc, 1921 ... Jan.. 1922 . . Dee., 1921 77 9'J 97 168 219 338 Italy (Rome) Finland Germany ... Jan., 1922 . . Nov.. 1921 ... Jan., 1922 369 1186 2119