RETAIL PRICES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10294, 31 May 1919, Page 4

RETAIL PRICES

COST OF LIVING SHRINKING SOVEREIGN, SHOWS A SLIGHT RECOVERY. As compared with its lowest ebb—l2s 10Jd in December, 1918—the shrinking sovereign, according to the current issue of the official Monthly Abstract of Statistics, showed a slight recovery in the March quarter of the present year. As measured by the foodstuffs it will buy, the sovereign, taken as worth the full 20s on the average prices of 190913, was last March quarter worth 13s lid only. The following table shows the rapid shrinkage of the sovereign during the period of the war aud the present slight recovery;—

March quarter, I9ia 13 if SOVEREIGN'S WORTH COSTS 30s 5Jd. Putting it another way, foodstuffs that, on the average prices of the five years, 1909-13, would have cost 20s. cost to-day, on the average of the four chief centres, 80s Sid, os against 30s- HJd for the December quarter of 1918. IThe itable given 'below (shows the steady war-increase in the cost of what wo may call “the basic, or the 1909-13, sovereign’s worth of food”

For each, of the four chief centres the March quarters of 1918 and 1919, respectively, and the December quarter of 1918, compare as follows: —

WOBKEES’ WEEKLY BUDGETS. Tho worker’s weekly budget for March indicates a very slight improvement as compared with February last, the total percentage increase for March on the weekly budget of July, 1914, being 39.53 per cent, as against 41.76 per cent, in February, 45.77 per cent, in January, 51.43 in December. 1918, 43.55 in November 41.75 in October, and 41.63 in September, 1918. The details for February and March, 1910, and July. 1914, are as under:—

Grand totals 19 8 i 27 lli * Increase per cent. > The above assumed weekly budget, states the Government Statistician, has been drawn up mainly with the object of setting out the percentage increases in prices of those commodities which may be classed as absolute necessities, bulking largely in the regimen of families of small income. It is not intended that this should be taken as an estimate of the amount of food required properly to sustain a family, and there are considerable number of commodities in common use which have not been included above. The foods shown In the budget, however, may be said to be indispensable, and it is for the purnose of showing the increase in the post Of such commodities that the bndget is published. V

5 d Average, 1909-13 . 20 0 March Quarter, 1915 .... . 16 10i March Quarter, 1916 .... . 16 1} March Quarter, 1917 . 14 9| March Quarter, 1918 .... . 13 11^ December Quarter, 1918 . . 12 10* . 13 U

s d 1909-13 0 Year '914 8 Year 1913 , . 23 Hi Year 1916 4} Year 1917 ‘A Year 1918 . March Quarter, 1919 . 30 Si December Quarter, 1918 . . 30 Hi March Quarter, 1918 .... . 28 sf

March Doc. qr. March qr., 1918. 1918. qr., 1919. s d s d 6 d. Auckland 28 7 30 7J 30 2 Wellington ... 29 34 31 7 30 11J Christchurch 27 6i 30 5i 29 Hi Dunedin ....... 23 5J 81 2| 30 7i

Average Cost. July, Feb., Mob., ' 19X3. 1919., 1919. Groceries — 0 d S d . ’ Bread, 7 21b loaves ... 2 2J 3 OJ 8 OJ Flour, 31b 0 4 * 0 Oatmeal. 11b 0 2 0 4J MJ 0 11| 0 Hi Cocoa, ilb Sugar, 81b 0 s| 0 6 0 11 0 6i 0 9i 1 3 0 6i 0 91 1 3 0 25 0 41 0 4 , Potatoes, 141b — 1 9j 1 54 J ....1. 6 71 10 01 9 "3 Increase , per • Dairy Produce Milk, 7 pints ... Butter, 31b Cheese, ilb Bacon, lib cent. : 1 2J 8 6J 0 Hi 51.74’ 1 6i 4 10i 0 3i 1 6 46.06 | 1 64 4 101 0 34 1 si Totals ...... S Hi Increase per cent. — Meat-Beef: . . Sirloin, 31b 1 8i StewiBg-st©ak, v '2lb 0 lit Corned roll* lib ...... 0 5£ Sausages, 21b 0 Hutton— „ ' 01V» 1 5i 8 2J 38.25 2 3 1 3i 0 7i 0 11 2 0i 8 2i 37.89 2 2i 1 83 0 7i 0,11 2 0i AJvg ( U**. .......... 0 9* 1 1J 1 IJ 1 ol 1 5 1 5 7 2 9 Si 9 8 ! Increase per cent. — • 35.4f 84.88 I