COST OF LIVING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19198, 14 June 1924, Page 10

COST OF LIVING.

SOME COMPARISON’S, Tho May abstract o! statistics gives the latest figures in regard to the movement of retail prices: Tho index number for the three food groups as at April 15 is 1605, an increase of seven points over that for the previous month, and of 60.00 per cent, os compared with that for July, 1914. The fall of 17 points in the groceries group has been caysed mainly by a fall in the price of potatoes in most towns. An increase in the price of milk in two important towns and a* rise in that of eggs in all towns has caused the index number for the dairy-products group to rise 47 points. Meat prices have remained practically stationary, tho index number being the same as that for March. The latest available figures for the principal countries publishing statistics of retail prices of food are cs shewn in the following table; Com- Inparison be- crea.se Country. tween July, per 1914, and cent. South Africa March, 1924 22 Holland (Amsterdam) Nor-ember, 1923 42 Canada February, 1924 46 United States January, 192-1 46 .New Zealand April, 1934 50 India (Bombay) February, 1924 51 Australia March, 1924 52 Sweden -February, 1924 62 United Kingdom April, 1924 67 Denmark January, 1924 91 Norway _ February, 1924 134 Franco (Paris) January, 1924 276 Italy (Milan) January, 1921 416 Finland December, 1933 953