RISE IN PRICE'S INDEX

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXI, Issue 15237, 30 December 1942, Page 4

RISE IN PRICE' S INDEX

POTATOES HELD RESPONSIBLE. Potatoes are almost entirely responsible for a rise of '6s points in the groceries index, and of 18 points in tile food groups index. and of seven points in the all-groups retail prices, index for October, states the Government Statistical!. “Usually in October when the new season's potatoes begin to come on to the market, there is some upward movement in the average price of potatoes on account of the higher prices ruling for new potatoes than for old, hut on this occasion, the disparity was more marked than usual,” ho states. “An additional complication arose through old potatoes being in very short supply and almost unobtainable in some districts, consumption being considerably reduced. Nevertheless. ns it. is against the principles of computation of a. retail-prices index to reduce the weight of a commodity on account of an abnormal temporary shortage of supplies, the full weight for potatoes, with the usual October allocation between old and new, was adhered to.”