COST OF LIVING.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 March 1922, Page 9

COST OF LIVING.

PRICE MOVEMENTS IN BRITAIN. An advance copy of the Statist’s index numbers now to hand shows that wholesale prices of commodities continued to decline in England during December, and at the end of the month ! were 2.3 per cent, below the level ruling lat the end of November. The index I numbers are based on the wholesale prices of 45 representative commodities. The December movement follows a fall 1.2 -per cent, in November and 7.4 par eeßt. in October, and continues a progressive decline, month by month, since April, 1920. with the single exception of July last, when an advance in textile prices raised the general average by of 1.2 per cent, in November and 7.4 per commodities in December is 136.7, compared with the high record of 266.1 in April, 1929, a fall of just under 50 per cent. It is the lowest of any montn since July. 1916. The fall during the year is 35.5 per cent., and the general rise in prices since June, 1914, is 64.5 i per cent. The index number for the ! latter month, however, is below the 'average for the three years 1912, 1913 [and 1914. as compared with which the [increase shown by the December index iis 57.2 per cent. The chief declines duriing the month occurred in the foodstuffs [division. Amongmaterials the textiles [and the sundry materials group show | very slight increases, and the minerals | g/oup is the only one to show a continued decline here. Tn the food-stuffs 'category, vegetable foods record the greatest decline, •the movement, during the month being per cent. In Nojvember this group was practically stationary. but in the previous month <!<’- 'dined by as much as 14.7 per cent. Among animal foods beef ami mutt'” l advanced. Jute, woo! and silk' in tre .textiles group, and hides, palm oil a.'-'d the import price of timber, among sundry materials, also show moderate increases. Oats and Straits tin complete the list of ■ com mod it io s which rose in price during the month. Of the remaining thirty-four commodities, ninei teen record declines and fifteen are imi changed.