COST OF LIVING.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1921, Page 4

COST OF LIVING.

SLIGHT FALL IN PRICES. THE LATEST FIGURES. A slight fall in the prices in the three food groups is recorded by the Govern* ment Statistician in the March issue oi the Abstract of Statistics. The index number for the three food groups as at February 15 (Dominion weighted average) is 1873, a decrease of 33 points as compared with the preceding month’s figure (1906), and increase of 75.05 per cent as compared with thal for July, 1914. The decrease of 68 pointe in the groceries group as compared with January is principally accounted for by a fall in price (practically throughout the Dominion) of potatoes, tea, soap, and tinned fruits. In the dairy-produce group there has been a considerable in* crease in the price of eggs, but this hae been discounted to a considerable extent by lower prices ruling for ham and bacon; the net result is an increase oi 17 points for the group. In the meat group the decrease of 38 points is due to a universal fall in the price of all cuts. The per cent increase over July, 1914, for the three food group* in the United Kingdom (as at March 1) is 149. This figure has been obtained by' cable, and ii> to be published in the Abstract in future for purposes of comparison. Taking the average “worth” of the sovereign in July, 1914, as twenty shillings its purchasing power at December last wffs Ils 3d for the three food groups (groceries, dairy produce and meat). The individual figures are: Groceries, 10s QJcI; dairy produce, 10a 10? d: meat 13a sd.