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  supplementary ­
  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  downward. ­
  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.