U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR JAMES J. DAVIS, Secretary BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS ETHELBERT STEWART, Commissioner BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES \ BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS/ No. 334 RETAIL PRICES AND COST OF LIVING SERIES RETAIL PRICES 1913 TO DECEMBER, 1922 JUNE, 1923 WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1923 Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D. C. AT 25 CENTS PER COPY PURCHASER AGREES NOT TO RESELL OR DISTRIBUTE THIS COPY FOR PROFIT.—PUB. RES. 57, APPROVED MAY 11, 1922 Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis CONTENTS, P age. Introduction and summary. 1 Summary of price changes. 1 -5 6 1 -4 9 Monthly and yearly price changes in the United States, 1913 to 1922.. 1 -3 4 Monthly and yearly price changes, by cities, 1913 to 1922........................ 35 -4 6 Yearly price changes in the United States, 1890 to 1922............................ 46 -4 8 By articles, 1907 to 1922................................................................................. 46 A ll articles combined, 1890 to 1922............................................................ 47 By articles, 1890 to 1922................................................................................ 4 7 ,4 8 Coal......................................................................................................................................... 5 0 ,5 1 Average and relative prices for the United States, January and July of each year, 1913 to 1919, for January, 1920, and June, 1920, to December, 1922..................................................................................................... 5 0 ,5 1 Average prices, by cities, January to December, 1922................................ 51 Gas............................................................................................................. ............................. 53 Average and relative prices for the United States, April of each year, 1907 to 1920, and May, September, and December, 1921, and March, June, September, and December, 1922......................................................... 53 Average prices, by cities, April of each year, 1907 to 1920, and May 15, September 15, and December 15,1921, and March, June, September,* and December, 1922............................................................................................. 53 Dry goods.............................................................................................................................. 5 5 ,5 6 Average prices for the United States, May and October, 1915 to 1921, and February and August, 1919 to 1921, and March, June, Sep- tember, and December, 1922............................................................................ 5 5 ,5 6 Average prices, by cities, March, June, September, and December, 1922............................................................................................................................ 56 Scope of study and method of obtaining prices.............................................................. 5 6 - 75 Food........................................................................................................................................ 5 7 - 74 Coal......................................................................................................................................... 74 Gas.................................................................................................................... 74,75 Electricity............................................................................................................................ 75 Determination of demand................................................................................. 167,168 Dry goods.............................................................................................................................. 75 Explanation of.tables............................................................................................................... 76,77 T able A .—Average and relative retail prices of specified food articles for the United States, 1913 to 1922, by months and years.................................................... 78 -8 8 Table B .— Average retail prices of specified food articles in 1913 and 1922 and for each month of 1922, for each of 51 cities.............................................................. 89 -1 3 9 T able C.— Relative retail prices of 23 food articles, 1922 and each month of 1922 compared with 1913, for each of 39 cities...................................................... 140-159 T able D .—Average retail prices of coal, per ton of 2,000 pounds, January to December, 1922, by cities............................................................................................... 160-162 T able E .— Net price of gas for household use, per 1,000 cubic feet, April 15 of each year, .1907 to 1920, and May 15, September 15, and December 15, 1921, ana March, June, September, and December, 1922, by cities.................... 163 Table F.—Net price per kilowatt hour of electricity for household use, De­ cember, 1914 to 1917, June and December, 1918 to 1920, May, September, and December, 1921, and March, June, September, and December, 1922, by cities....................................................................................................................................... 164-166 Table G .— Average retail prices of specified articles of dry goods, March, June, September, and December, 1922, by cities................................. 169-175 A ppendix A .— Purchasing power of union wages as measured in food, 1907 to 1922.................................................... .*.................................................................................. 177,178 A ppendix B.—Comparisons of wholesale and retail prices of certain food articles, 1913 to 1922......................................................................................................... 178-220 A ppendix C.— Retail prices in foreign countries....................................................... 221-224 HI Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis IV CONTENTS, LIST OF TABLES COVERING THE UNITED STATES AND THE CITIES, GROUPED ACCORDING TO COMMODITIES. UNITED STATES. Food— By months and years, 1913 to 1922: Page* Table 1.— Index numbers showing trend in retail cost of all articles combined.................................................................................................................. 4 Table 2.— Index numbers showing trend in retail cost of cereals, meats, and dairy products, by groups.......................................................................... 7 Table A .-—Average and relative retail prices of specified food articles.. 78-88 By years, 1890 to 1922: Table 4.— 1907 to 1922. Relative prices, by articles.................................. 46 Table 5.—1890 to 1922. Index numbers showing trend in average family expenditure for food............................................................................... 47 Table 6.— 1890 to 1922. Average retail prices of certain foods, and amounts purchasable for $1................................................................................ 47,48 C o a l - 1913 to 1922: Table 7.— Average and relative prices, January and July of each year, 1913 to 1920, and January ana June, 1920, to December, 1922............ 50,51 G a s - 1907 to 1922: Table 8.— Average and relative prices, April of each year, 1907 to 1920, and May, September, and December, 1921, and March, June, Sep­ tember, and December, 1922............................................................................ 53 D ry goods— 1915 to 1922: Table 9.—Average retail prices, May and October, 1915 to 1921, and February and August, 1919, 1920, and 1921, and March, June, Sep­ tember, and December, 1922............................................................................ 55,56 CITIES. Food— By months and years, 1913 to 1922: Table 3.— Index numbers showing trend in average family expendi­ ture for all foods combined...................................................................................36-43 By months of 1922 and by years, 1913 and 1922: Table B .—Average retail pnces of specified food articles for each of 51 cities........................................................................................................................... 89-139 Table C.— Relative retail prices of 23 food articles compared with 1913, for each of 39 cities.................................................................................. 140-159 Coal— 1922: Table D .— Average retail prices, January to December.......................... 160-162 Gas— 1907 to 1922: Table E .— Net price, on the 15th of each specified month................ ...... 163 Electricity— 1913 to 1922: Table F .— Net price per kilowatt hour in specified months..................164-166 D rygood s— 1922: Table G.—Average retail prices, March, June, September, and De­ cember................................................................................................................... 169-175 Digitized for FRASER http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis CONTENTS, V LIST OF CHARTS (AND TABLES) SHOWING TREND IN PRICES. RETAIL PRICES IN THE UNITED STATES. Food— By months, 1913 to 1922: Page- Chart 1. All