H—4B

weighting patterns would be necessary to represent correctly the expenditure patterns of lodgers " and " roomers." Again, a consumers' price index represents the expenditure pattern of a family as a " going concern." Newly established families or families just moved to a new locality would have abnormal expenditure patterns which would not necessarily be well represented by any general consumers' price index. CHAPTER 7—COMPILATION AND PUBLICATION OF GROUP AND ALL GROUPS INDEX NUMBERS 30. As has been indicated in para. 19, prices of food and fuel and lighting will be collected from all twenty-one towns each month. Prices of seasonal fruits and vegetables will be collected from the ten major towns at weekly intervals. Price statistics for clothing, drapery, footwear, services, and various miscellaneous items will be collected at quarterly intervals from the ten major towns (in some instances the four chief centres only); while the collection of rent statistics will be made in February and August of

each year from each of the twenty-one towns. The following programme of compilation is proposed : •

Monthly index numbers for food and fnel and lighting for each town and for the Dominion should be compiled and published by the Government Statistician ; half-yearly indices for housing; quarterly index numbers for each of the ten towns for clothing drapery, and footwear; and quarterly indices for each of the four chief centres for miscellaneous items. The all groups index numbers should be compiled at quarterly intervals in the following manner : Quarter. All Groups Index Number Represents—- .. Average of January, February, and March index numbers for food and fuel and light combined with February housing index and February indices for clothing drapery, footwear, and miscellaneous groups. vJune • • A ™ ra S e of A P«I, May, and June index numbers for food and fuel and light vith May index numbers for clothing, drapery, footwear, and miscellaneous groups and the February index number for housing. September .. Average of July, August, and September index numbers for food, fuel and light combined with August index numbers for housing, clothing, drapery, footwear, and miscellaneous groups. December .. Average of October, November, and December index numbers for food and fuel and light combined with the November indices for clothing, drapery, footwear and miscellaneous groups and the August index for housing.

15

Group. Frequency of Compilation. - Towns Covered. Food .Fuel and lighting Housing Clothing, drapery, and footwear .. Miscellaneous commodites and services Monthly Twice yearly (February and August) Quarterly (February, May, August, and November) Ditto Twenty-one towns. Ten towns. Ten towns, or (in some cases) four chief centres.