cities. The price of fresh milk rose 0.3 percent, largely due to an advance of 1 cent a quart by most of the reporting dairies and stores in Cleveland. Cream was also 0.5 percent higher. Higher prices for cheese were reported in 49 cities and the average increase was 2.9 percent. Evaporated milk was up 1.7 percent. Egg prices continued the seasonal advance. From June 30 to July 14, the average price per dozen rose 4.3 percent. Prices were higher in all but one of the 51 cities. In Scranton, egg prices were 0.6 percent lower. The combined index for fruits and vegetables declined 5.1 percent. The most significant price change during the period, from the standpoint of its effect on the index, was the 13.5-percent decline in potato prices. Decreases for this item were reported from 42 of the 51 cities. If potatoes had been omitted, the group index would have shown an advance of 1.0 percent. Lemon prices rose sharply and were 21.6 percent above the level of June 30. Advances were reported from all but 2 of the 51 cities. Lower prices for apples in 24 cities resulted in an average decline of 3.4 percent. Price changes for other items in the fresh fruits and vegetables subgroup ranged from a decrease of 8.5 percent for celery to an increase of 15.2 percent for sweetpotatoes. The cost of canned fruits and vegetables advanced 0.6 percent. Increases were registered for 6 of the 10 items in the subgroup and were greatest for corn, 2.5 percent, and for tomatoes, 1.1 percent. Dried-fruit and vegetable costs also showed an advance, being 0.7 percent higher than 2 weeks ago. On July 14, prices of navy beans were higher than they have been since October 1935; between June 30 and July 14, they showed a gain of 1.7 percent. Prices of lima beans increased 1.1 percent. The cost of the beverages and chocolate group fell off 0.2 percent. The average price of coffee had been declining steadily for some time and from June 30 to July 14 showed a further decrease of 0.1 percent. Prices of tea and chocolate were also lower, but cocoa prices were 0.5 percent higher. Lard increased 0.6 percent, following the trend of pork prices for the period. Prices of the other shortenings, lard compound and vegetable shortening, were lower by 0.5 and 0.8 percent, respectively. Both salad oil and peanut butter were 0.8 percent higher, and oleomargarine advanced 0.5 percent. Mayonnaise prices remained unchanged. An increase of 0.2 percent in the cost of sugar and sweets was due to a gain of 0.3 percent in sugar prices. Slight decreases were reported for the other items in the group. Indexes of retail food costs by major commodity groups in July and June 1936, are presented in table 1. This table shows also the comparative level of costs in July 1929 and other recent years. Table 1.—Indexes of Retail Food Costs in 51 Cities Combined,1 by Commodity July 14 June 30 June 16 June 2 July 30 July 16 July 2 July 15 July 15 1 Aggregate costs of 42 foods in each city prior to Jan. 1, 1935, and of $4 foods since that date, weighted to represent total purchases, have been combined with the use of population weights. Average prices for each of the 84 foods for 51 large cities combined are shown in table 2 for July and June 1936 and for July 1935. Table 2.-Average Retail Prices of 84 Foods in 51 Large Cities Combined 1 July and June 1936 and July 1935 [*Indicates the 42 foods included in indexes prior to Jan. 1, 1935] 'Prices for individual cities are combined with the use of population weights. Table 2.-Average Retail Prices of 84 Foods in 51 Large Cities Combined-Con. 7 Average prices of milk delivered by dairies and sold in grocery stores, weighted according to the rels. tive proportion distributed by each method. 14.4 14.3 14. 4 14. 2 14.3 14.4 20. 1 20. 1 20.3 20.5 20.5 20.5 Details by Regions and Cities BETWEEN June 30 and July 14 retail food costs declined in 26 of the 51 cities included in the index. Higher costs were reported for 22 cities and 3 cities showed no change. The largest decrease, 3.5 percent, was reported by Salt Lake City, where potato prices fell 25.8 percent. Mobile and Little Rock, with advances of 3.1 and 3.0 percent, respectively, showed the greatest increases. In these two cities fruit and vegetable costs were higher, contrary to the general movement for the group. Considerably higher prices for potatoes and cabbage were reported in both cities. Index numbers of the retail cost of food in each of the 51 cities are given in table 3 for July and June 1936 and for July of earlier years. Table 3.-Indexes of the Average Retail Cost of All Foods, by Cities 1 Region and city 14 16 2 July June June June July July July July July July July 2 17 15 15 15 |