Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 April 1903 — PRICES SHOW A GAIN. [ARTICLE]

PRICES SHOW A GAIN.

COM MISSIONEROF LABOR ISSUES i interesting BULLETIN. Covers 250 Commodities sad Shows Variations la Cost of Necessaries for Period of Twelve Teoro—The Heletlve Prices for 1890 sad 1002 the Same. Carroll D. Wright, commissioner of labor, has bailed a bulletin which will bo of great interest to economists and others who are studying the cost of living snd kindred questions. He gives a comparison of the variations in the prices of the necessaries of life during the period from 1890 to 1902, inclusive, covering a total of 230 to 265 coihmodities: Sixteen farm products, 54 articles of food, TO articles of clothing, 13 articles of fuel and lighting, 39 of metals, 20 articles of lumber and building materials, 9 articles of drugs and chemicals, 14 of house furnishing goods and the remainder miscellaneous. The lowest average in prices reached by farm products was in 1896, and the highest in 1902; food was lowest in 1896 and highest in 1891; clothing was lowest In 1897 and highest in. 1890; fuel and lighting were lowest in 1894 and highest in 1902; metals and implements were lowest in 1898 and highest in 1900; lumber and building materials were lowest in 1897 and highest in 1902; drugs and chemicals were lowest in 1895 and highest in 1900 house furnishing goods were lowest in 1897 and highest in 1902; while among the miscellaneous articles the lowest average was reached in 1890 end the highest in 1902. Of the nine groups Comprising all of the necessaries of life, the average was lowest in 1897, and the highest in 1890 and 1902, the relative price for these two years being exactly the same.

In the comparison of the prices of 1902 with the average of 1890 to 1890 of the sixteen articles in the farm products group 15 show an increase and one a decrease; of the 53 in the food, etc., group, 35 show an increase and 18 a decrease; of the 70 in the clothes and clothing group, 42 show au increase, one shows the same price as the average for the base period and 27 show a decrease? of the 13 in the fuel and lighting group, 12 show nn increase and one a decrease; of the 3G in the metals and implements group, 28 show-an increase, 2 show the same price ns the average for the base period and 6 show a decrease; of the 26 in the lumber and building materials group, 19 show an increase and 7 a decrease; of the 9 in the drugs and chemicals group, 8 show an increase and one a decrease; of the 14 in the Rouse furnishing goods group, 13 show an increase and one a decrease; of the 13 in the miscellaneous group, 10 show an increase and 3 a decrease. Of the 250 Commodities for which prices were secured for the whole period from 1890 to 1902, 182 show an increase, 3 show the same price as the average for the base period and 65 show a decrease. Of the 182 commodities that showed an Increase in 1902 over the average for 1890 to 1899, (33 advanced lers than 10 per cent, 63 advanced from 10 to 25 per cent, 39 advanced from 25 to 50 per cent, 16 advanced from 50 to 100 per cent and one advanced 100 per cent or more. Of the 65 commodities which showed' a decrease, 46 decreased less than 10 per cent, 11 decreased from 10 to 25 per cent, 6 decreased from 25 to 50 per cent and 2 decreased 50 per cent or more. Of the 250 articles for which prices were secured for the whole period from 1890 to 1902, it is seen that 182, or 72.8 per cent, show nn increase in prices; 6 articles, or 1.2 per cent, show the same price as the average for the base period, and 65 articles, op 26 per cent, show a decrease in price in 1902 as compared with the average price for the. base period. Of the 260 commodities considered in this compilation of prices, the average price of 149 commodities was higher In 1902 than in 1901, the average price of 45 wae the same in 1902 as in 1901, and the average price of 66 was lower in 1902 than in 1901.