TABLE 6.--CHANGES IN COST OF LIVING IN 13 CITIES, DECEMBER, 1917, TO DECEMBER, 1930-Continued Cost of Living in the United States and in Foreign Countries1 HE trend of cost of living in the United States and in various foreign countries since 1913 is shown by the index numbers in the following tables. Table 1 contains general cost of living index numbers, while Tables 2, 3, 4, and 5 show changes in the cost of food, clothing, fuel and light, and rent, respectively. Caution should be observed in the use of these figures, since not only are there differences in the base periods and in the number and kind of articles included, and the number of markets represented, but also there are radical differences of method in the construction of the index numbers. The number of countries included in the five 1 Preceding articles on this subject appeared in the Labor Review for December, 1922, July, 1923, January and July, 1924, January and July, 1925, January, 1926, February, 1927, August, 1928, February and August, 1929, and February and August, 1930. tables varies according to the information available. Several countries publish a general index and an index number for food only, while others omit clothing and in some instances also rent. TABLE 1.-INDEX NUMBERS OF COST OF LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES, 1913, TO DECEMBER 1930 clothing, Food, Commod ities included Food, Food, Food, Food, Food, Food, Food, Food, fuel and clothing, clothing, clothing, clothing, clothing, clothing, clothing, clothing, clothing, Bureau of Labor Statis- fuel and light, rent, taxes, fuel, rent, taxes, etc. fuel and fuel and fuel and fuel and light, light, light, light, rent, rent, rent, rent, sundries sundries sundries sundries January-January Depart- and AdminCom- istration JanuaryJune, 1914 Com ment of Statis- for July, 1914 @ June, June, 1913-14 July, TABLE 1.-INDEX NUMBERS OF COST OF LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES, 1913, TO DECEMBER, 1930-Continued |