PRICE INDEX

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22213, 16 March 1934, Page 11

PRICE INDEX

JANUARY LEVELS. The index number of export prices for the month of January was 1103 (on the base: average export prices ruling during 1909-13, 1000) an increase of 1.3 per cent, over 1914 export prices, says the Abstract of Statistics. The index number for the wool group rose from 1008 in December to 1280 in January, the cumulative increase in this index number from the low point of 527 in December, 1932, being 144 per cent. The index number of export prices of dairy produce fell from the already low figures of 805 in December to 706 in January. Some slight improvement has, however, taken place in butter and cheese prices since the end of January. The increased price of gold is reflected in an increase in the export price index for the minerals group from 1302 in December to 1428 in January. Retail prices of food show little change since December, the January index number for the food groups combined 750 (on base 1920-30 prices., 1000) remaining unaltered. Pood prices on January 15 were, on the average, 6.7 per cent, above 1914 food prices. The index number of wholesale prices for the month of January was 1336 (on the base: average prices during 1909-13, 1000), an increase of 16 points over the December index. The index number of prices of imported commodities included in the index remained unchanged since the previous month, the increase in all the groups index being entirely due to a rise of 29 points in that for locally produced commodities —caused by increased wool and potato prices.