XXX Vil 
(vii) Changes in Prices and Wages since October, 1905. 
In the separate reports information is given for each town in regard 
to the movement of prices between the standard date, October, 1905, and 
the date at which the town was visited for the purpose of this Enquiry. But it 
appeared desirable to obtain some information as to the movement of prices up to 
a more recent date, and for this purpose supplementary investigations were made 
in April, 1908, in six representative towns—Berlin, Aachen, Chemnitz, Magde- 
Jzanqf, Mannheim and Mülhausen—with a total population of about three 
millions. Information was also obtained so far as possible in regard to the 
movement of wages during the same period. The results of these supple 
mentary investigations are summarised in the following paragraphs. * 
< 
Changes in Prices. 
The upward movement in the price of Bread which set in during 1905 
continued, with a certain break towards the end of 1906, until the beginning of 
the present y&ar, since when there has been a slight fall in price in some of the 
towns. The general movement is illustrated by Table E (i) on page lvii 
which shows the official monthly average prices, since October, 1905, published 
by the municipal authorities of Berlin, Magdeburg, Mannheim and Mülhausen, 
for rye bread of various grades, the prices being cited in pfennige per kilo, as in 
the original returns, in order to exhibit the variations more clearly. In these 
towns it will be seen that prices, after rising in the first part of 1906 showed a 
slight downward movement in the latter part of that year, after which time the 
upward movement was resumed until it culminated in November and Dezember 
of 1907 or January of 1908. The following Table summarises in English units 
the prices of rye bread of various grades at October, 1905, and February, 
or March, 1908, for all the six towns visited. 
Town. 
Price of rye bread perSt^^p 
October, 1905. 
February or 
March, 1908. 
Increase per cent. 
Aachen 
Berlin .. 
Chemnitz 
Magdeburg 
Mannheim 
Mülhausen 
d. 
41 
4| 
51 
d. 
51 
61 
61 
6 
51 
24 
32 
32 
25 
14 
10 
The rise in price thus ranges from 10 to 32 per cent, and the average 
advance is 23 per cent, or approximately an increase of one-quarter as compared 
with October, 1905. 
In regard to Meat, Table E (ii) on page lviii shows similarly the official 
monthly average prices of Beef\ for the six towns, from October, 1905, to the most 
recent months for which information was obtainable. It will be seen that the 
movements are comparatively small and very irregular ; on the whole the 
highest level was reached towards the end of 1906, since which time in spite 
of marked fluctuations in some cases, prices on the whole have tended down 
ward. Taking together the prices recorded in all the six towns at October, 
1905, and the°latest available date in 1908, in the same way as the bread prices 
above, it appears that in the latter month prices had returned to practically the 
same level as in October, 1905. In the case of Pork, on the other hand, there 
has been a considerable fall in prices, the greater part of this having taken 
place since the autumn of 1906. The monthly prices given in Table E. (iii) 
on page lix, show an average fall of 15 per cent.