§ Major HORE - BELISHAasked the President of the Board of Trade the retail price of each article of staple diet and of the necessities of life selected for the purpose of the index figure of the cost of living for each of the months since the beginning of November, 1924?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThe following table gives the desired information as regards those commodities for which 959W average retail prices are computed. For other items of working-class expenditure of which account is taken in computing the Ministry of Labour index numbers (e.g., rent, clothing, fares, newspapers, tobacco, ironmongery, brushware and pottery) no calculation of average prices is made, the figures used being the averages of the percentage changes in prices indicated by the individual returns; there
Commodity. 1st Nov, 1924. 1st Dec, 1924. 1st Jan, 1925. 31st Jan, 1925. 28th Feb, 1925. Beef, British— s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Ribs Per lb. 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 Thin flank Per lb. 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 Beef, chilled or frozen— Ribs Per lb. 0 10¼ 0 10½ 0 10½ 0 10¾ 0 10¾ Thin flank Per lb. 0 5½ 0 5¾ 0 5¾ 0 5¾ 0 5¾ Mutton, British— Legs Per lb. 1 8¼ 1 8¼ 1 8¼ 1 8¼ 1 8¼ Breast Per lb. 0 11¼ 0 11¼ 0 11¼ 0 11¼ 0 11½ Mutton, frozen— Legs Per lb. 1 0¼ 1 0¾ 1 0¾ 1 0¾ 1 0¾ Breast Per lb. 0 5¼ 0 5½ 0 5½ 0 5½ 0 5¾ Bacon (streaky)* Per lb. 1 6¼ 1 5¾ 1 5¾ 1 5¾ 1 5¾ Flour Per 7 lb. 1 6¼ 1 6¼ 1 6½ 1 7¼ 1 8 Bread Per 4 lb. 0 10 0 10¼ 0 10¼ 0 10½ 0 11 Tea Per lb. 2 4½ 2 5¼ 2 5½ 2 5½ 2 5¾ Sugar (granulated) Per lb 0 4½ 0 4¼ 0 4 0 3¾ 0 3¾ Milk Per quart. 0 6¾ 0 6¾ 0 6¾ 0 6¾ 0 6¾ Butter— Fresh Per lb. 2 3¾ 2 3¼ 2 3¼ 2 1¼ 2 1¾ Salt Per lb. 2 2¾ 2 2 2 2 1 11½ 2 0 Cheese† Per lb. 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 Margarine Per lb. 0 6¾ 0 6¾ 0 6¾ 0 7¼ 0 7¼ Eggs (fresh) Each. 0 3¼ 0 3½ 0 3 0 2¾ 0 2¼ Potatoes Per 7 lb. 0 10 0 10¼ 0 10¼ 0 0¼ 0 10¼ Coal Per ton. 46 0 46 0 46 2 46 1 46 0 Per cwt. 2 4¾ 2 4¾ 2 4¾ 2 4¾ 2 4¾ Gas Per 1,000 feet. 3 4¾ 3 4¾ 3 4½ 3 4½ 3 4½ Lamp oil Per gallon. 1 2 1 2 1 1¾ 1 4½ 1 1¾ Candles, cheep wax Per lb. 0 6¼ 0 6¼ 0 6 0 6 0 6 Matches Per 12 boxes. 0 10¼ 0 10¼ 0 10¼ 0 10¼ 0 10¼ Soap Per lb. 0 6½ 0 6½ 0 6½ 0 6½ 0 6½ Soda Per 7 lb. 0 6¼ 0 6¼ 0 6¼ 0 6¼ 0 6¼ Per lb. 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 *If this kind is seldom dealt with in a locality, the returns quote the price of another kind locally representative. †The description of cheese specified for quotation is Canadian or American, but where such cheese is seldom sold in a locality, the returns quote the price of another kind locally representative.