A lower standard of living for Chinese workers in the Settlement, involving a cost of living 351 times more than that prevailing in 1936, is revealed in a comprehensive report issued by the Council regarding earnings of workers for September. It was shown that while the value of the local dollar was higher during the month than during the first week of May, retail prices are much higher today than at that time, rising immediately with a drop in exchange and declining very slightly when the Chinese dollar recovers. Reverting\to the cost of living of foreign workers the report states:
"As compared with October, 1939, by the end of September, 1940 the purchasing power of the dollar in Shanghai in September for Western foreign salaried employees had been reduced by 37.88 per cent. This is computed from the consolidatdl index which reached 160.97 as against 156.63 in August, registering a further rise of 4.34 points, or 2.77 per cent.
Sharp rises were ohgerved in the food group. Best grade bread has risen 13.79 per cent, and various cuts of beef from 2.09 to 7.14 per cent. Eggs, both hen and duck, were selling at an average of 14 cents apiece, a rise of 16.67 per cent. A general rise was also found among fresh vegetables. This is partly due to the heavy demand of the Chinese community during the Mid-autumn Festival. The price of fruit rose continuously. Grade A milk was retailed at 77 cents per pint in the middle vert of August but went up to $1.00 subsequently. Grade B increased from 53'to 58 cents.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.