RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD IN THE UNITED STATES, 1906 COMPARED WITH AVERAGE PRICE FOR 1890-1899.

This table shows that the price of each of the articles except sugar, coffee, and prunes was higher in 1906 than the average price for the ten-year period 1890 to 1899. The price of bacon was 50.4 per cent higher; fresh pork, 37.7 per cent higher; dry or pickled pork, 36.9 per cent higher; eggs, 34.2 per cent higher, etc. The price of only three articles was lower in 1906 than the average for the ten-year period 1890 to 1899. Prunes were 14.9 per cent lower; coffee, 5.3 per cent lower, and sugar, 1.8 per cent lower.

The preceding table is summarized in the short table which follows:

NUMBER AND PER CENT OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD, CLASSIFIED BY PER CENT WHICH THE 1906 RETAIL PRICE IS ABOVE OR BELOW THE AVERAGE PRICE FOR 1890-1899.

From this table it is seen that in 1906 the price of one of the 30 articles was more than 40 per cent (50.4 per cent) higher than the average price for the ten-year period 1890 to 1899; the price of 6 articles, or 20.0 per cent of the total, was from 25 to 40 per cent higher than the average price for the ten-year period; the price of 13 articles, or 43.4 per cent of the total, was from 10 to 25 per cent higher

than the average price for the ten-year period, and the price of 7 articles, or 23.3 per cent of the total, was less than 10 per cent higher than the average price for the ten-year period. On the other hand, the price of 2 articles, or 6.7 per cent of the whole number, was less than 10 per cent lower than the average price for the ten-year period, and the price of one article, or 3.3 per cent of the whole number, was from 10 to 25 per cent (14.9 per cent) lower than the average price for the ten-year period.

The following table compares for each article the price in December, 1906, with the average price for the ten-year period 1890 to 1899:

RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD IN THE UNITED STATES, DECEMBER, 1906, COMPARED WITH AVERAGE PRICE FOR 1890-1899. [Average price for 1890-1899=100.0.]

This table shows that in December, 1906, eggs were 80.6 per cent higher than the average price for the ten-year period from 1890 to 1899, bacon was 54.8 per cent higher than during the ten-year period, etc.

The only articles which show a decline in price are sugar, 2.3 per cent; coffee, 4.7 per cent, and prunes, 14.4 per cent.

The table which follows summarizes the above table.

NUMBER AND PER CENT OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD, CLASSIFIED BY PER CENT WHICH THE DECEMBER, 1906, RETAIL PRICE IS ABOVE OR BELOW THE AVERAGE PRICE FOR 1890-1899.

From this table it is seen that in December, 1906, the price of 3, or 10 per cent of the total, of the 30 articles was more than 40 per cent higher than the average price for the ten-year period 1890 to 1899. The price of 6 articles, or 20 per cent of the total, was from 25 to 40 per cent higher than the average price for the ten-year period, etc.

A table follows which shows for the United States the lowest and highest yearly relative price of each of the 30 articles of food for the seventeen years 1890 to 1906; also the year in which the lowest and highest yearly prices were reached:

LOWEST AND HIGHEST YEARLY RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES OF THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD IN THE UNITED STATES, 1890 TO 1906.

Of the 30 articles the lowest yearly relative price was reached by 5 in 1890, 4 in 1894, 2 in 1895, 1 in 1895 and 1897 (the price being the same for the two years), 4 in 1896, 8 in 1897, 2 in 1898, 1 in 1899, 1 in 1901 and 1902, 1 in 1903, and 1 in 1904. The highest yearly

1896

96.7

1906

105.7

1895

91.8

1890

118.6

1895, 1897

98.5

1902

107.2

1895

98.5

1906

123.2

1896

97.2

1891

105.5

relative price was reached by 3 in 1890, 1 in 1891, 5 in 1902, 1 in 1903, 1 in 1904, 1 in 1904 and 1905, 1 in 1905, and 17 in 1906. Thus the highest yearly price of the seventeen-year period was reached by five-sixths of the 30 articles during the last five years and by more than one-half of the 30 articles during the last year.

Certain of the articles included in this investigation are related to each other in such a way as to make a comparison of the course of prices of such articles very interesting. These groups of related articles are shown in the table which follows:

RELATIVE RETAIL PRICES IN THE UNITED STATES OF CERTAIN GROUPS OF RELATED ARTICLES OF FOOD, 1890 TO 1906.

Under cattle products are shown the three articles, beef, fresh, roasts; beef, fresh, steaks, and beef, salt. The price of each of these three articles was higher in 1891 than in 1890; that of the two descriptions of fresh beef was lower, and that of salt beef was higher in 1892 than in 1891; prices of roasts were lower and of steaks and

salt beef higher in 1893 than in 1892; all three of the articles show lower prices in 1894 than in 1893; in each year from 1895 to 1902, inclusive, the price of each of the three articles increased; all were lower in 1903 than in 1902; prices of roasts and salt beef were lower and steaks higher in 1904 than in 1903; the price of each of these three articles was lower in 1905 than in 1904; and the prices of all were higher in 1906 than in 1905.

In the group of hog products, all of the 5 articles take the same course in each of the six years, 1891 to 1896; in 1897 all except lard were higher than in 1896; in 1898 all except salt ham were higher than in 1897; in each of the four years, 1899 to 1902, all of the 5 articles were higher than in the year immediately preceding; in 1903 fresh pork, dry or pickled pork, and lard were lower, while bacon and ham were higher than in 1902; in 1904 all were lower than in 1903; in 1905 all except lard were higher than in 1904; in 1906 all were higher than in 1905.

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD.

In connection with this report on retail prices it is interesting to compare the course of wholesale prices and the course of retail prices. Retail prices usually follow the wholesale but do not always vary in the same proportion. The table which follows shows the relative wholesale prices of food (simple averages of 53 articles from 1890 to 1892 and 1904 to 1906, and of 54 articles from 1893 to 1903) and the relative retail prices of food (simple averages of 30 articles). The figures for wholesale prices are from Bulletin No. 69 of this Bureau.

RELATIVE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PRICES OF FOOD IN THE UNITED STATES, 1890 TO 1906.

[The wholesale prices are from Bulletin No. 69 of the Bureau of Labor and are simple averages of 53 articles from 1890 to 1892 and 1904 to 1906, and of 54 articles from 1893 to 1903. The retail prices are simple averages of 30 articles. Average price for 1890-1899-100.0.]

The facts presented in this table are clearly shown in the accom

panying graphic table.