COST OF LIVING INDEXES COMPARED 121 
coal, gas and electricity priced by the Board, but specific 
consumption weights have not been published by the Bureau 
for any of the several elements making up the total, and 
were not made available. Lacking these consumption 
weights, it is not possible to tell what circumstances are 
most largely responsible for the differences between the two 
series. 
Sundries: The goods and services which make up the 
Cuart 48: INpEx NumBeErs oF THE CoMBINED COST OF 
SUNDRIES, IN AVERAGE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, 1913 
To DECEMBER, 1925, INncLusIVE 
Based on figures in Table 1 and Table § 
National Industrial Conference Board mms 
July 1914 = 100 
United States Bureau of Labor Statistics ssescesacssocee 
Year 1913 = 100 
INDEX 
NUMBERS 
250, — 
wo on ag. pa 
JET 
53 
Gl 
76 
-—t 
5 
ool. 
6% 
16 TRE Twsn 8) 22 23° ed TS 
sundries budgets in the two series are most dissimilar of any 
major item! and any difference in their combined cost can 
be explained almost entirely on this basis. The trend lines 
of both have been almost identical from the start and the 
difference between them constant. Which list of items is 
more representative is largely a matter of taste. The 
National Industrial Conference Board budget allows 39, 
of the total for furniture and furnishings, the Bureau of 
1See pp. 39; and 75-76 of this volume.