Cost of living in German towns

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 866449027

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-93831

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Cost of living in German towns

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Stat. Off.

Year of publication:: 1908

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (LXI, 548 Seiten)

Collection:: Economics Books

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296 KÖNIGS HÜTTE. away many of their customers. This cause of complaint, it seems, is gradually disappearing, partly because the novelty of easy access to the other towns has worn off, and partly owing to the increasing population of Königshütte and the establishment there of more attractive shops, including establishments of the universal provider type. Apart from such large concerns the numerous body of small shopkeepers in Königshütte have a competitor in the co-operative stores for the sale of household provisions, instituted by the leading coal and iron producing firm of the place, with the avowed object of " influencing and controlling the open market ” in the interests of its workpeople, the latter being the share holders of the societies which own the stores. The same firm has also estab lished a meat salting business (which it conducts itself) for the purpose of " regulating the price charged by private butchers and supplying good meat and sausages at reasonable prices.” In both respects the firm claims to be successful, but not without a certain sacrifice, owing to the cost of management being greater than that of private butchers, and to the fact that only the very best qualities of meat are supplied. Thus, on sales amounting to £20,600 in 1905, there was a loss of £1,300, which the firm made good out of its own resources. A custom which appears to be more general in Königshütte than in the industrial towns of the west, so far as the working-classes are concerned, is that of laying in, on pay day, a supply of provisions sufficient to last at least a fortnight, that is, until the next pay day, and the opinion exists locally that, in adopting this course, the housewives are influenced less by the advantage of paying a lower price for the larger quantity than by their anxiety to avert the risk of seeing a large part of the family income spent on spirits. The existence of this risk would appear to have been recognised by the municipality, which has found it expedient to require all spirit shops to be closed at 4 p.m. every alternate Friday,—the day on which most of the men in Königshütte draw their wages. Groceries and other Commodities. The following Table shows the predominant retail prices charged in Königshütte for the various kinds of household provisions of the quality usually consumed by the working-classes. The price for each article is based on the statements of several private retail dealers in that article doing business in different parts of the town. These prices relate to two different dates, the one being the month of October, 1905, and the other August, 1906, the time of the visit to Königshütte for the purposes of this Report. Predominant Prices paid by the Working Classes in October, 1905, and August, 19Ò6. Commodity. Predominant Price. October, 1905. August, 1906. Coffee (Java) ... Sugar (broken loaf) Bacon :— 1 at ... ... Streaky Eggs (Austrian) Cheese j otoüteer Butter ... Margarine Potatoes Flour, Wheat ... „ Rye Bread (of Rye) Milk Coal (Nuts) Paraffin (American) per lb. No. per Is. per lb. per 7 lbs. per 4 lbs. per qt. per cwt. per gal. lid. to Is. Id. 2d, „ 2id, 9# 9# 14 to 17 Is. Id, to Is. 2\d. 9# 1 # to 1# 10# 11# 9# 4-#. 2# to 2# 7# 11 id, lid. to Is. Ic7. 2d. „ 2 id, 9# 9#. 17 to 20 5# ‘“'if d. Is. Id. to Is. 2# 9#. 11# 2d. to 2# 10# 9# 4#. 2# to 2# 7# 11# * As the cheese pats had to be weighed it was impossible to ascertain the prices according to weight for October, 1905,

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