OCR Text |
Show PRICES HAVE TREBLED. Dun's has just published an elaborate elab-orate calculation on the progressive increase in-crease in prices. The figures show that, during tho last twenty-one years, prices on about 300 commodities have more than trebled. The statisticians, in arriving at their results, use an "index number" system. sys-tem. Tho "index number" represents the general average, and account is taken of every factor having a bearing upon price changes. According to Dun's compilation, in I860 the total or average index number num-ber for all commodities was 115191. There were fluctuations during tlie Civil war period similar to the fluctuations fluc-tuations during the recent world war, and in 1S64 the index number was 287987. In other words, all commodities commodi-ties increased to such an extent that the purchasing power of a dollar shrank greatly, just as it has done in the last three years. In 1S65 there was a decided drop in prices, and while the index number rose a few points in 1S66, the next decade de-cade showed a decided downward tendency ten-dency of prices, until in 1S7S the index number dropped to 9626S. Then followed fol-lowed a period of increasing living costs, until in 1SS2 the index number was 123230, but the crest was reached at that point and prices again fell. In 18S5 the index number was 90697. In the next 10 years the lowest figure recorded was in 1897, when the number was 72455. Since then, with the exception of a few years,' the tendency has been upward. up-ward. The index number in 1905 was 9S312. In 1906 it was 105216, in 1907 it was 113660, and in 1912 it had risen to 122277. There was a very slight recession re-cession of prices the following two years, but the effect of tho wTar was plainly reflected in 1915, by an index number of 12495S. In 1916 costs had further increased, bringing up tho index in-dex number to 145142, and by 1917 they had leaped to 211950, going on to 232575 in 1918, and to 233707 for July 1, of this year. From this it is apparent that since 1807 living costs have more than trebled. Dun's record for the first seven months of tho present year shows tho monthly variation from January to July to have been as follows: January, 1919, the index number was 23014(3; in February, 220050; in March, 217037; in April, 210973; in May, 222193; in June, 227973; and in July, 233707. |