Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD IN THE UNITED STATESSource: Monthly Review of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Vol. 4, No. 4 (APRIL, 1917), pp.583-584Published by: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of LaborStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41823378 .

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MONTHLY REVIEW OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS. 583

there is misappropriation or failure to make use of allotments. Two hundred thousand dollars is appropriated annually for adminis- trative purposes.

RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD IN THE UNITED STATES.

According to reports received by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the retail price of the principal articles of food, combined, was 4 per cent higher on February 15 than on January 15. The greatest increase, 77 per cent, was shown by onions, while potatoes were 30 per cent higher. Of the 27 articles for which prices are given, eggs alone showed a decrease, 7 per cent, while five articles, namely, flour, rice, raisins, coffee, and tea made no change.

The following table shows the average money prices and the relative prices of the principal articles of food on January 15 and February 15. 1917 :

AVERAGE MONEY RETAIL PRICES AND RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD JAN. 15 AND FEB. 15, 1917.

(The relative price shows the per cent that the average price on the 15th of each month was of the average price for the year 1016.]

Aver^money Relative price. Article. Unit.

Jan. 15, Feb. 15, Jan. 15, Feb. 15, 1917. 1917. 1917. 1917.

Sirloin steak Pound 90.276 SO. 287 101 105 Round steak do 247 . 260 101 106 Rib roast do 216 . 225 102 106 Chuck roast do 174 . .186 101 108 Plate boiling beef do 132 .141 103 110 Pork chops do 236 .261 104 115 Bacon do 296 .307 103 107 Ham do .306 . 318 104 108 Lard do 214 .219 122 125 Hens do 255 .267 108 113 Salmon, canned do 214 .216 106 107 Eggs, strictly fresh Dosen 544 .506 145 135 Butter, creamery Pound 453 . 469 115 119 Cheese do.. 312 .315 121 122 Milk quart 099 .100 109 110 Bread 16-os. loaf1.. .070 .071 .108 109 Flour t-barrelbag. 1-369 1.369 127 127 Corn meal Found .040 .041 118 120 Rice... do .091 .091 100 100 Potatoes Peck 587 . 761 145 188 Onions Pound 069 .122 141 249 Beans, navy do 145 .149 132 135 Prunes........ do 139 .141 104 105 Raisins, seeded do 141 .141 109 109 Sugar do 080 . 081 100 101 Coffee do 299 . 299 100 100 Tea do 546 .546 100 100 All articles combined m 1X7

1 16 ounces (weight of dough).

A comparison of prices on February 15, 1913, and February 15, 1917, shows an advance of 38 per cent in the price of all articles com- bined.

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584 MONTHLY REVIEW OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

All of the articles for which information is given for the four-year period were higher on February 15, 1917, than on February 15, 1913, the greatest increase, 224 per cent, being that of potatoes. Flour, with an increase of 69 per cent, and eggs, 61 per cent, are the two articles showing the greatest increase next to potatoes.

Comparing February 15, 1916, with February 15, 1917, onions show the greatest increase, 177 per cent, while potatoes increased 107 per cent and beans 61 per cent. Rice, coffee, and tea show no change in price, and no article shows a decrease as between the two dates.

The table following shows in detail the average and relative retail prices for February 15 of each year from 1913 to 1917.

AVERAGE MONEY RETAIL PRICES AND RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES ON FEB. 15 OF EACH YEAR, 1913 TO 1917.

[The relative price shows the per cent that the average price on the 15th of February was of the average . price for the year 1916.]

Average money price Feb. 15. Relative price Feb. 15. Article. B Unit.

1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917

Sirloin steak Pound... JO. 240 $0,254 $0,248 $0,257 $0,287 88 93 91 94 105 Round steak do 206 . 228 . 223 , 228 . 260 84 93 91 93 106 Rib roast do 189 .199 .197 . 201 .225 89 94 93 95 106 Chuck roast do 169 .162 .162 .186 98 94 94 108 Plate boiling beef do 124 .123 .122 .141 97 96 95 110 Pork chops do 188 . 209 .179 .193 . 261 83 92 79 85 115 Bacon. ""

'-..do 255 . 264 . 267 . 273 . 307 89 92 93 95 107 Ham ""

---do 253 .265 .259 .297 .318 86 90 88 101 108 Lard *". L.do...... .154 .158 .152 .177 . 219 88 90 87 101 125 Hens"

...do 208 . 222 . 208 . 222 . 267 88 94 88 94 113 Salmon, canned do 198 . 200 . 216 98 99 107 Eggs, strictly fresh Dozen 315 . 364 . 338 . 349 . 506 84 97 90 93 135 Butter, creamery Pound... .414 . 359 . 378 . 378 . 469 105 91 96 96 119 Chee®B.. . do 235 . 248 . 315 91 96 122 Milk Quart 089 . 091 .089 . 089 .100 98 100 98 98 110 Bread." 16-oz.loafi 055 . 063 . 062 . 071 85 97 95 109 Flour J-bbl. bag. .809 . 787 1.100 1.003 1.369 75 73 102 93 127 Corn meal Pound... .030 . 031 .033 . 033 . 041 87 92 98 96 120 Rice do 091 .091 .091 100 100 100 Potatoes.*.*.*. Peck 235 . 284 . 219 . 369 . 761 58 70 54 91 188 Onions Pound 034 . 044 .122 69 90 249 Beans, navy do 076 . 092 .149 69 84 135 Prunes do 137 .133 .141 102 99 105 Raisins, seeded do 125 .126 .141 97 98 109 Sugar do 055 . 051 .064 . 068 . 081 69 64 80 85 101 Coffee* do 299 .299 .299 100 100 100

do 546 .546 .546 100 100 100 All articles combined 85 88 * 98 117

i IG oünces (weight of dough).

UNION- WAGE SCALES AND RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has in press a bulletin (No. 214) entitled " Union Scale of Wages and Hours of Labor, May 15, 1916," giving the scales in force on the date stated, for the principal trades in 48 of the leading cities of the. United States. Summary figures back to the year 1907 appear in this bulletin.

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