WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PRICES Retail Prices of Food in December, 1930 HE following tables are compiled from simple averages of the actual selling prices received monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from retail dealers. Table 1 shows for the United States retail prices of food December 15, 1929, and November 15 and December 15, 1930, as well as the percentage changes in the year and in the month. For example, the retail price per quart of fresh milk was 14.4 cents on December 15, 1929; 14.0 cents on November 15, 1930; and 13.5 cents on December 15, 1930. These figures show decreases of 6 per cent in the year and 4 per cent in the month. The cost of various articles of food combined shows a decrease of 13.2 per cent December 15, 1930, as compared with December 15, 1929, and a decrease of 3.0 per cent December 15, 1930, as compared with November 15, 1930. Table 2 shows for the United States average retail prices of specified food articles on December 15, 1913, and on December 15 of each year from 1924 to 1930, together with percentage changes in December of each of these specified years compared with December, 1913. For example, the retail price per dozen of strictly fresh eggs was 47.6 cents in December, 1913; 69.8 cents in December, 1924; 66.2 cents in December, 1925; 65.2 cents in December, 1926; 59.6 cents in December, 1927; 58.4 cents in December, 1928; 62.8 cents in December, 1929; and 41.6 cents in December, 1930. As compared with December, 1913, these figures show increases of 47 per cent in December, 1924; 39 per cent in December, 1925; 37 per cent in December, 1926; 25 per cent in December, 1927; 23 per cent in December, 1928; and 32 per cent in December, 1929. In December, 1930, there was a decrease of 13 per cent as compared with December, 1913. The cost of the various articles of food combined showed an increase of 32.0 per cent in December, 1930, as compared with December, 1913. At present this information is being collected in 1 In addition to monthly retail prices of food and coal, the bureau publishes periodically the prices of gas and electricity for household use in each of 51 cities. June and December of each year. TABLE 1.--AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF SPECIFIED FOOD ARTICLES AND PER CENT OF INCREASE OR DECREASE DECEMBER 15, 1930, COMPARED WITH DECEMBER 15, 1929, AND NOVEMBER 15, 1930 [Percentage changes of five-tenths of 1 per cent and over are given in whole numbers] TABLE 2.-AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF SPECIFIED FOOD ARTICLES AND PER CENT OF INCREASE DECEMBER 15 OF CERTAIN SPECIFIED YEARS COMPARED WITH DECEMBER 15, 1913 [Percentage changes of five-tenths of 1 per cent and over are given in whole numbers] Article Average retail prices on Dec. 15 Per cent of increase Dec. 15 of each specified year compared with Dec. 15, 1913 1913 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 * Beginning with January, 1921, index numbers showing the trend in the retail cost of food have been composed of the articles shown in Tables 1 and 2, weighted according to the consumption of the average family. From January, 1913, to December, 1920, the index numbers included the following articles: Sirloin steak, round steak, rib roast, chuck roast, plate beef, pork chops, bacon, ham, lard, hens, flour, corn meal, eggs, butter, milk, bread. potatoes, sugar, cheese, rice, coffee, and tea, |