Bean curd shops suspended busi= ness for three days during the month as from December 19. On the resumption of business, an increase of price was announced due to the in creased costs of soya beans, bean gypsum other ray materials: The rise 1 ed from 25 per cent, in the case of bean curd and dried bean curd to 50 and 60 per cent, inthe ease of sheet bean and. fried bean curd. These are considered the cheap est dishes that one could possibly obtain. The effect upon the workin families, therefore, should nol be overlooked, Coal briquettes gain reached over $4 per 100 chi Owing to short; of supply, an Hbnormal increase wi shown in the prices of useless time and firewood. Compared with last month's quotations, useless timber was 50 per cent. hither and firewood 2923 per cent.
As a direct result of the rise fuel cost hot water shops also declared a 50 per cent, increase in price, Hot water was sold at 1.7 cents for ten ladles prior v the hostilities, ud it is now 8 cents.
It is to be noted that the it cited above are those of which the res huts been the most nonth. They the same time form the daily indispensable items of consumption of the working lass. The rise in the living cust index therefore carries deeper significance, when it hits dest upon daily necessities.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.