Prices of certain nonferrous metals in United States and England, 1928 Prices of certain nonmetallic minerals and products in United States and foreign Prices of certain textiles in United States and foreign countries Wool tops and yarn Wool tops Merino Worsted fabrics .. Worsted serge Silk 7 1 U. S. Tariff Commission, Summary of Tariff Information, 1929. Approximate. Average construction of 36.7 inches, 62 by 62, 4.82 for United States; 36.6 inches, 65 by 62, 4.99 for foreign. U. S. Tariff Commission, Broad Silk Manufacture and the Tariff, 1926. Average taffeta line comparable to 61⁄2 momme habutae. It is impossible to make a precise average of the foregoing price data. The tables show in each case the percentage that the foreign is of the domestic price. A weighted average of these percentages can not be made because the amounts of the goods sold at the quoted prices are not known. Even if they were known, a weighted average might be misleading. Simple averages of the percentages can be given, but it should be borne in mind that such averages in this case can give only a very rough idea of the actual situation. In the following table simple averages from the foregoing tables are combined. They show that prices in England, of the various classes of commodities shown, with exceptions, are lower than those in the United States. The foreign prices of some of the agricultural and nonmetallic mineral products are those of countries other than England but because of the absence of British customs duties upon them, it is believed their prices would not be much higher in England. With respect to Germany, comparisons are here available only for chemical products and metals. These show an average in Germany 86.69 per cent of the average found for the United States. Ratio of foreign prices to prices in the United States 1 Wool tops and yarns are omitted to avoid giving too great weight to wool and wool products. 86.69 Retail prices in different countries of certain food products are regularly reported and compared by the International Labor Office. The prices are for similar qualities and grades of the articles specified. The following table shows the prices in Philadelphia, London, and Berlin of some of the standard articles of food as reported by the International Labor Office in October, 1928: Average retail prices of certain articles of food, October, 19281 Except eggs. This seems low, but about the same price is given in all the quotations. The International Labor Office has constructed an index for the comparison of international food prices. This index is based upon a theoretical basket of provisions containing the above foods and some others. The various proportions of the several food products are slightly different in the several countries, being based upon the foodbuying habits of the several nationalities as determined by study of family budgets. Assuming a basket of provisions to cost in September, 1928, 100 in Philadelphia, its cost in London was 74.5, and in Berlin was 80.1 With respect to the comparative prices of clothing, the following is quoted from a report by the United States Department of Commerce: Generally speaking the prices for clothes, shoes, and other necessities are lower in Germany than in the United States. Prices of ready-made suits range from $20 upwards, a good suit may be had at about $25 or $30. Ready-made suits are not in demand to such an extent in Germany as in the United States, as everybody who can possibly afford it, has his suits made to order. Such suits can be obtained according to the quality of the material from $35 upwards.❜ The relative prices of clothing in the United States and Great Britain may be roughly inferred from the comparison of the prices of textiles shown in a preceding table. This table shows the English price of certain textiles in percentages of the United States price as follows: Raw wool.. Wool tops and yarns.. Worsted fabrics.. Cotton cloth.... 82.61 59. 02 67.97 96. 61 Very few studies have been made of the comparative prices of housing (rent) in the United States and foreign countries. Such comparisons are rendered difficult by the differences in types of dwellings and in standards of living here and abroad. In 1927 and 1928, however, two reports were published which have made possible a fairly reliable comparison between wage earners' costs of housing in Germany and the United States. In 1927 a German association of merchants' employees made an investigation of the family budgets of 350 families of merchants' employees in various parts of Germany. The statistics obtained were based upon individual accounts kept by each family under the direction of a supervisor. The following table gives the average rentals shown by this investigation. Annual rent for dwellings paid by store clerks in Germany, 1926 ▪ 2.859 734.54 228.94 Average number of rooms per family, excluding kitchen.. • Deutschnationaler Handlungsgehilfen-Verband, Der Haushalt des Kaufmannsgehilfen, Hamburg, 1927, pp. 34-35. Number of rooms in addition to kitchen. The rent of the kitchen is included in that for the rooms. 1 International Labour Review, Jan. 1929, p. 109. 'Department of Commerce, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Division of Regional Information, Special Circular No. 103, Living Costs for Americans in Germany, Nov. 10, 1927, p. 4. The prices quoted refer to the kind of clothes worn by travelers and business men. |