Sessional_Paper_1939 — Page 141

137

1922=100.

1924* 1931

1982

1933

1934

1985 1936

1937 1938

Beaus

100.3 130.9

118.6

101.3

88.9

78.7 121.4

145.4 135.9

Beef

Eggs

Flour (Wheat)

116.9 218.0 152.8

94.5

96.4 114.0

131.1 104.5

98.5

173.2

96.7

85.7

121.3 128.0 161.1

188.9 178.2

Salt Fish

87.6

125.9

150.0

Fruits, Fresh

123.4

306.7

274.5

Lard

106.9

188.0

114.7 101.2

86.0 .78.6

75.8 66.3

153.4 137.1 118.9 97.5

250.1 233.0 201.5 256.2

78.5

93.0

107.7 1083.3

104.4

141.2 116.1

Peanut Oil

111.6

117.1

122.1

101.7

73.1

Pork

103.6

133.8

119.8 109.6

87.3

77.8

84.7 181.3

97.3

106.9 100.2

310.0 303.2

82.7 113.2 146.2 105.6

151.3 111.6

151.9 124.4

Poultry

111.0

175.2

147.7

117.0

88.8

86.1 02.2

124.7 118.1

Rice (Broken)

112.3 126.1

118.3

88.9

66.1

68.6

108.0

183.0 125.8

Rice (White)

110.2

133.2 118.5

93.5

72.2

71.4

106.3

123.5 120.9

Vegetables

(Dried, etc.)

96.3

64.3

56.8

45.2

45.4

46.6

55.5

56.1

59.5

141. The variations in wholesale prices are reflected in the retail prices shown in the following rough table of costs per catty (pound and a third) of staple food- stuffs of the wage earning classes for the last nine years:

1980

1931

1982

1983

1084 1985 1036 1937

1938

$ c.

$ c.

$ 0. $c.

D $

.c.

C.

$ c.

Rice (3rd Gradej

per cutty

9.2

8.6

8.4

7.6

5.6

1.0

6.3

7.9

7.8

Fresh Fish

26.2

25.0 31.5

31.8

25.3

23.8

20.9

26.9

24.4

Salt Fish

Beef

33.7 82.0

49.0 49.0 48.0

34.6

27.8

28.1

22.5

21.2

24.1 25.2

44.4 40.6

35.2

32.8

36.8

87.6

Pork

54.0

58.0 55.0 51.4 41.6

38.9

41 7

51.9

49.7

Oil

23.2

28.0 24.2 21.4

15.3

15.8

23.7

28.3

22.2

Firewood

1.4

1.4

1.4

1.1

1.0

0.9

0.8

1.0

1.1

142. One cause of the variations in the market price of imports has been the fluctuation in the value of the local dollar in terms of sterling as shown in the following table.

Year.

Average rate.

1924

2/ 42

1929

2

1930

184

1931

1/ 02

(January 11d; December 1,54)

1932

1/32

1933

1/ 42

1934

1/6

1935

1/11

(May 1/44; December 1,81) (2/4 to 1/83)

1936

1/ 81%

1937

1/ 218

1938

1/ 24

143. The figures which appear annually regarding cost of living in the report of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs are based on information obtained from the District Watch Force. At my request figures were furnished from the same source showing the cost of living of an ordinary labourer. The figures have been tabulated as follows:-

* The collection of trade statistics was commenced in 1917, discontinued in 1925, and resumed in 1930.