Show Cost a of Living V Lower owes i k in 1 AO Survey Shows ws Drop Was Between 5 and 6 Per Cent Cen t Further Easing Easing Easing ing of Prices Held Possible I The cost of C living dropped In 1925 1926 Just how much It dropped depend on what figures on en the subJect subject subject sub sub- arc are used The national industrial industrial indus indus- that the time trial conference board says say's cost of living in iii October was beo between between between be be- o tween 65 and 66 per cent above what it was in July 1914 The United States tates bureau of labor sta- sta s states that the cost of living living living liv liv- ing in December was was about 73 percent per percent percent cent above was in 1913 The variance between these two statements amounts to little It Is Isto isto isto to be accounted for by the methods of computation used in-each in case casc The rhe point of ot interest is that both agree that living costs registered a drop of 5 to 6 per cent during the time theP P past st year ear This drop came notwithstanding a rise of ot nearly 1 per cent in each set bet of figures in August 1 1926 26 The Thenet Thenet net drop was vas between 0 Ii and 6 C per cent I PEAKS IN 1920 The peak of increases in living 1 costs came in June Tune 1920 when according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to the United States bureau bureau bu- bu bureau bu bu- reau the figure was 1165 per cent above 1913 Since then using the sane figures the low 1 point was in September 1922 when the figure I Iwa was wa per cent above 1913 After AHel 1922 there was another high point of 77 9 per cent the cent the highest since the low of September 1922 1122 These figures s are fur lor two thirty-two cities Inthe in inthe the he United States The different elements in these mat cost of living figures have not moved noved together in their changes jp up or down Food reached its ugh in June June- 1920 per cent Clothing reached its high highs at the same Lame time time 1875 per cent Housing Hous Ilous ng ing or rent is treated under a separate heading Fuel and light mad had their high in December 1920 1920 49 per cent House furnishing roods goods had their high in June 1920 19 1927 7 per cent Miscellaneous us ous had its high in May 1921 1921 1088 per cent It will do the average citizen good goodo to o look back at these figures of ot 1920 and 1921 and to appreciate what has happened since then People People Peo Peo- are surely a great deal better off Lff than they were Furthermore ft should be bc rc- rc that living costs arc still higher than commodity prices In general jeneral Prices stand about 50 per percent eat cent above 1914 while living costs are ire some ten points higher than that hat figure RICE PRICE TREND STILL DOWN The trend of commodity prices is till still downward though it is to be b doubted if there will be any very movement In either direction ion tion during the time next six months Cost of living figures however nay may show some seine further decline luring during 1927 since the figures on commodity prices are wholesale quotations and there is a gap of ot three to six months between I in do wholesale ialo prices and amid the C changes s prices corresponding corre retail prices prices A a appear p cost co t o of living figures I i Hes e this there is ig a c chance nce I. I which an amounts to almost a. a certain certain- certainty I ty ty- ty- ty that that- some of the items id hi the the cost of ot living which do not appear ar arin In commodity price indices will register still further declines In 1927 It is comparatively sure that the consumers consumer's dollar the money in the pay envelope envelop not only buys more lifo life mat material ral at the the close of 1 1926 than it dM did a year a year ago and t that when we come to the end of 1117 still further i increases in the pUrchasing pur Vitt chasing power ot of Va u t- t twill S 'S will halt ha been registered cht changes a a. these are the sam same us as increases increase In wag wages s. s If It trey fiey came all at on once tr O the change would be more aced But nut since they come a littie lit lit- little tle tie at a time people do not credit to them their full foil Importance It is only by looking back at the road already traveled that people s see see e where ere E they really are today |