BARMEN. 
77 
A point which should be mentioned in connection with me sale of meat 
and other kinds of food (including bread) is the existence of a police regulation 
which prohibits the fingering of such articles of food by customers in shops. A 
notice calling attention to this regulation is in many cases exhibited. The fines 
for contravention range from one shilling to thirty shillings, and the shop 
keeper is liable if he permits such contravention on the part of a customer. 
The level of prices in Barmen is higher than in any other of the towns 
investigated. Predominant prices in Berlin being taken as 100, the following 
are the prices index numbers for Barmen :—Food, other than meat, 116 ; 
meat, 109; all food, 114; coal, 83; and food and coal, 110. The index 
number for rent and prices combined is 99, Berlin being taken as 100. -