COST OF LIVING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16938, 12 January 1923, Page 7

COST OF LIVING.

RETAIL PRICE INDEX. The index number for the tliree food groups at November 15 is 1486, a decrease of five points when compared with the preceding month’s figure, and an increase of 38.88 per cent, as compared with that for July, 191.4. According to the monthly Abstract of Statistics of December. Very little movement has been recoided in prices in the groceries group, the index number (17521 remaining the same as that for the previous month. The fall of 3S points in the dairy products group is due mainly to an allround fall of from Id to l£d per i'h in the price of butter in most towns. In the meat group the index number has risen five points, due mainly to a slight rise in prices of mutton and pork in some towns. Most items have, however, remained stationary.

The latest available figures fur the principal count ties publishing statistics of retail prices of food are as shown in the following table:—

Comparison between Increase Country. July. 1914, and per oent. South Africa . - Aug., 1922 3 6 United States . . A tig., 3 922 36 Canada . . Sept.. 3922 39 New Zealand . . Nov.. 1922 39 Holland (Amsterdam) July, 1922 44 India (Bombay) . Oct., 1922 58 United Kingdom . Nov.. 1922 SO Sweden . . . Sept., 1922 80 Denmark . . . July, 1922 B4 Norway . . Sept, 1922 128 France (Pari») . . Sept.. 1922 1B1 Belgium . . Sept., 3 922 286 Italy (Rome) . . Sept., 1922 382 Finland . . . July, 1922 1.005 Germany . . . Sept., 1922 15.S1T