The sharp additional rise cost of living which took pi December, detalles this report, caused a groups of en commercial enterprises. of the industrial section in mediation were in greater demand than staff was available. There were eighteen disputes handled by the section. seven of which were settled without stoppage of work, and ten of which resulted in strkes with a loss of days, 9.718 workers being Industrial Fires other disputes were settled jons between There were 20 fires in industrial premises during the month, in which 26 persons were injured, twelve fatally, The majority. of injuries and fatalities took place in connection with the use of celluloid, while three persons were injured through a fire in a rubber factory. Five fires wired Ju textile plants, three in food industries, two euch in woodworking, and clothing trades, with and workers and with the Police. Recogni tion by managements of the reality of increased living costs made for comparatively easy adjustment of at Toast part of the claims for rice al-Towance: but when other demands: were formulated by workers coupled with the request for monetary adjustment, long and difficult negotiations were necessary. lips's car, after the well-planned on January 6. The Com~ ug in the right side of the seat and, almost made its mark as shown within His attempted assassins are said to the Japanese Gendarmerie, Four comprehensive collective agreements were formally signed during the month. A comparatively simple measure of costs is the rice price. which workers can understand, For the actual rice prices used by firms as adjustment, the figures collected by the industrial section are used in many cases. But refer-fence to the extent of the rise in the Indices for clothing, fuel and light, ent, and miscellaneous groups given later in this report, will show that it is not food alone' which has risen greatly in price.
Earnings increases in the form of rice allowances, represent of some 20 per cent, in the majority of cases have been granted. One case of 120 per cent, increase is known. If the original wage was low, the adjustment has tended to be greater than in the cases of workers earning slightly more, Foreign Cost of Living Study Details of family expenditures for 186 families were received for November, an increase of fifteen over those received for the month of October. Tabulation and computation has proceeded and has kept pace with the material received from families. It will be possible, after the December record books are received and analyzed, to commence the compilation of a provisional index from the figures of the first three months. This should be available approximate: ly from the end of January and should be useful in the interim which must otherwise elapse before a final ire, based on family expenditures for a whole year, can be compiled.
The cost of living for Chinese rose December to a figure twice that of January 1939, and three times that of the year' 1936. 'The index reached the record figure of 304.06 surpassing the November index. by 1945 per cent. The group indices soared "simultaneously. 'The food index was 318.08, rising by 27.42 per cent. Over the' preceding month: fuel" and Tight, increasing by 15.17 neons, 226.85, by 836 per cent: and clothing, 223.08, 363 per cent, Meanwhile, the rebasing power of the dollar has reduced to $0328) of its 1936
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.