HC Deb 12 February 1913 vol 48 cc984-7W
Mr. GOULDING

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the percentage rates of increase or decrease in the wholesale prices of the following articles between the years 1905 and 1912:—Tea, coffee, currants, raisins, rice, tapioca, oatmeal, cornflour, milk, eggs, butter, cheese, lard, bread, flour, ham, bacon, beef, mutton, fish, salmon (tinned), coal, petroleum, and soap?

Mr. BUXTON

The information is given in the following table:—

Articles. 1950. 1912 Increase(+) or Decrease (-) in 1912 compared with 1905.
Per cent.
Tea, Import value ex Duty, per lb 7.24d. 8.78d. + 21.3
Coffee Import value ex Duty, per cwt. £2.58 £3.78 + 46.5
Currants Import value ex Duty, per cwt. 17.29s. 25.46s. + 47.3
Raisins Import value ex Duty, per cwt. 26.92s. 38.84s. + 44.3
Rice Import value ex Duty, per cwt. 6.91a. 9.18s. + 32.9
Tapioca, Market price per cwt. 12.1s. 22.9s. + 89.3
Oatmeal No wholesale price available.
Cornflour
Milk, Contract price per gallon 8.14d. 9.52d. + 17.0
Eggs, Import value per dozen 8.69d. 10.56d. + 21.5
Butter Import value per cwt 104.09s. 121.61s. + 16.8
Cheese Import value per cwt. £2.60 £3.21 + 23.5
Lard Import value per cwt. £1.83 £2.55 + 39.3
Bread, Contract price per cwt. 8s. 10d. 9s. 8d. + 9.4
Flour, Import value per cwt 10.01s. 10.83s. +8.2
Flour Market price of Town Households per sack of 280 lbs. 25s. 6d. 28s. 10d. + 13.1
Hams, Import value per cwt. 47.31s. 60.60s. + 28.1
Bacon Import value per cwt. 46.46s. 62.82s. + 35.2
Beef, Market price, Live Meat, Metropolitan Cattle Market, per 8 lbs. (sinking the offal)—
1st Class 4s. 7d. 5s. 6d. + 20.0
2nd Class 3s. 6d. 4s. 8d. + 33.3
Inferior 2s. 10d. 3s. 2d. + 11.8
Mutton, Market price, Live Meat, Metropolitan Cattle Market, per 8 lbs. (sinking the offal)—
1st Quality 5s. 11d. 6s. 4d. + 7.0
2nd Quality 5s. ld. 5s. 0d. - 1.6
Inferior 3s. 11d. 3s. 9d. - 4.3
Fish, Fresh, value per cwt. of Fish landed at Ports in United Kingdom 10.13s. 10.66s. + 4.2
Canned Salmon, Import value per cwt. £2.63 £3.27 + 24.3
Coal—
Export value per ton 10.47s. 12.57a.* + 20.1
Market Prices—
House (London Market Pool) 15s. 3d. 21s. 6d.* + 40.9
Steam (Cardiff) 12s. 11d. 20s. 8d.* + 60.0
Petroleum, Import value per gallon 4.34d. 4.27d. - 1.6
Soap, Export value per cwt. 20.88s. 23.66s. + 13.3

* These averages are affected by the temporary high prices during the National Coal Strike in 1912.

Mr. CROFT

asked the President of the Board of Trade with regard to the figures given on page 4 of the January, 1913, number of the "Labour Gazette," showing the percentage increase in retail prices in 1912 as compared with 1911, whether he can state the percentage increase in 1912 as compared with 1905 in the retail prices of each of the following articles: tapioca, oatmeal, marmalade, rice, sugar, cheese, bread, beef, flour, bacon, butter, mutton, eggs, raisins, pork, and potatoes?

Mr. BUXTON

The information is given in the following table:—

Article. Retail Prices 1905. Index Numbers 1912. Percentage Increase in 1912 over 1905.
Tapioca … 85.8 148.5 73.1
Oatmeal … 101.3 123.4 21.8
Marmalade … 114.3 128.6 12.5
Rice … 92.9 111.2 19.7
Sugar … 133.8 137.7 2.9
Cheese … 93.5 117.3 25.5
Bread … 109.0 113.8 4.4
Beef … 99.2 113.6 14.5
Flour … 108.5 118.5 9.2
Bacon … 108.3 133.3 22.2
Butter … 99.1 113.8 11.8
Mutton … 103.1 103.5 0.4
Eggs … 98.1 114.1 16.3
Raisins … 79.6 119.5 50.1
Pork … 98.3 103.3 5.1
Potatoes … 80.3 95.9 19.4