THE SOVEREIGN

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1919, Page 3

THE SOVEREIGN

SOW worn 13s 2d. As compared with 20s for the average of the four year:?, 1909-13, the purchasing power of the sovereign for the last June quarter, measured in foodstuffs, was 13s 2d only, as against 13s G'/L-d for the June quarter, 101S; lis Sid for the •June quarter, 1917; 15s fljd for the .Tulle quarter, IfllG; and 10s 9.} d for the June quarter, 1915. Or, statin.; it another way, dm-iujr the June quarter, )!H9, it cost 30s »Ul, a.s against 20s 5Jd for the •June quarter of 191S, lo purchase the nmount of food which would have cost 20s in the average of the four centres in 1900-13. WEEKLY BTIDGKTS, The workers' weekly food budget., published in the current "Official Monthly Abstract of Statistics;' again show a slight relapse in the condition of the shrinking sovereign. For June last the percentage increase in the cost of an assumed weekly household consumption of certain foodstulls was 39.0f! per cent over the prices ruling in July, 1914, as against 30.43 per cent in May, while for' July tiid percentage increase was 4'l.'us per cent. The. details are as under:—

GroceriesCommodity. Average cost. •Tulv, .lune, •Tulv. 1014. 1019. 1D19. S. (i s. cl. s. d. Bi'end, 7 21b loaves 2 2H 3 0% 3 0*4 Hour, 31b 0 6% 0 Oatmeal, lib ,, 0 4H a Rice, llh 0 4 0 5 1 0 Tea, Jfclli 1 0 Cocoa, 3 /-lb ' 0 0 0 (JV 4 Supir, 31b 0 Wi 0 9% .Tam, 211> 1 2% 1 2*4 Raisins, %lb .. 0 4 0 4'i Totals 0 7 Vk 9 9% Increase per cent. — 45.43 48.58 Dairy ProduceMilk, 7 pints ,. ... 1 1% 1 9 1 9 Butter, 3ib .... ... 3 6% 4 11 4 lift Cheese, >4 lb ... 0 3^ 1 5% n 3»/. Br con, lib 1 fi Totals ... r» u\i 8 r, v t s r,% Increase per cent — 42.11 42.81 Jlp.'if., JVof— Siiloin, 3ih ... 1 8i/. 2 2U 2 2-V, Staving steak. 2 lb « 1 VA 1 ;; J Corned roll, lib ... o n J, 4 0 7 ; Ji 0 7 % Pansn»M, 2lb ... ... 0 9V v o u 0 11 u i.iulton— lieu .'Jib ... l r»v t 2 0 2 OH Fl'oulder, 2lb .. ... 0 1. i \\ 1 ivChops, 21b ..... 1 a .Y 2 1 4Va Totals 7 2 ft (5^ 9 71/. Increase per cent — 33.34 41. Gf> Grand totals .. if) S y 2 27 7 27 11 Increase per cent — " 39.96 41.65