COST OF LIVING

Shannon News, 23 July 1929, Page 2

COST OF LIVING

RAT ATT, PRICE INDICES TOR DOMINION.

The retail price index (Dominion weighted average) for the three iood groups on April 15, was .1574 (on the base —average prices in the four centres during the years 1909-13 —1000;, an increase of 7 points as compared with that for the previous month, and of 47.1 per cent, over that for July, 1914.

The continued reduction in the prices of potatoes and onions, together with minor changes in the prices of less important commodities, states the Government Statistician, is collected by a decrease of 9 points in the index number of the groceries group. A sharp increase in the price of eggs in all the centres, combined with the rise in the price .of milk, . has resulted in an ineerase o,f 48 points in the dairy produce ■index number. Meat still remains practically stationary in. price.

Expenditure., on food constitutes somewhat less than two-fifts of the expenditure of. an average household. In order to persent a more complete picture of movements in retail prices generally, statistics regarding ihe retail prices of clothing, drapery and footwear, and miscellaneous items of family expenditure are collected at quarterly intervals, and when combined with the indexes for food, rent, fuel, and light, are approximately 87 per cent, of the average household expenditure. Index numbers have been compiled for rent, clothing and miscellaneous items of family expenditure as at February 15, which, when combined with the food and fuel and light index numbers as as April 15, gives an allgroups index 60.9 per cent, above the July, 1914 level, so that it now takes in that month.