annual report of the Industrial Seetion for 1998. For the first time since the establishment of the Industrial Section at the beginning of 1993 It is possible to publish in an annual report Information of a vital natare in elation to the livelihood of workers Figures of the cost of living, of retail prices movements, of wage rates ow available, being the work of TY. Tha, formerly Chief of the Sintistical Division of the Bureau of Social Affairs of the City Government of Shanghai, operating now under the Chinese' Statistical Sosiety to con tinue uninterrupted the excellent information which has been continuous. ly available since 1926.
Mr. Tsha has been accorded office space in the Industrial Section, which has, in tura, authenticated his inves-gators to industrial enterprises. "This mutual arrangement is greatly to the Wantage of tne Section. The floures covering Wages and Hours of Labour fare obtained from Chinese industrial The most significant fact which Jemerges from the study of Cost of [Living of the Shanghai Chinese community is that it costs today S147 10, buy what was able words, the July i937 dollar, is now fonly worth 68 cents. The statement! which follows particularises the situ Mon in 1937 and 1938.
Cent of Living and Relat Prices The index of the cost of living of Shanghai workers: begin from 1026 ana'fr on 1000 bus." "The eneral ices, namely foot" and" ligity and mfecelancous rou The! seatve, importance. of ite various groups in "the general Index ts-best shown by their per is average rice is the 13 percent: clothing, 7.15 per cent.; fuel and Tight, 16.4 percent; and miscellaneous, 24.6 cent.
For the year 1937, the general index stands at 124.11; the increase is only 18.13 per cent., when compared with 1926, the year preceding the hostilities. HThe' increase' is, however, much greater, when the monthly indices of {the five months period from August. {to December, 1837, are compared with, July, the pre-war month. During the Ave months, the index is highest in November (159.08). The increase Is. 43 per cent., when compared with July Ge051). Ta other: words, living costs were increased nearly by one half during the hostilities in 1937, 1938
For 1938, comparison is made with July, 1037." Among the group indices {the rise is highostin the rent index; second, fuel and light; third, misceltaneous: fourth, food; and ftth, cloth ing." The extent of the monthly JAuctuations given below shows" the Jmaximum and minimum indices dur~ {ng the year. The rent index for the year stands at 280.14, an Increase of 158.9 per cent. over July. 1957 (11250). Monthly "indices Auetuate between 27672" (January-June) and 301.50 (uly-December). The yearly fuel Jand ight index is 24289, an Increase fof 623 per cent. July, 1997=14025). Monthly indices "fuetuate between 21448 (May) and 20122 "(January), HThe yearly, miscellaneous Index. 164.20, an increase of 27.5 per con uly, 1097=128.83), Monthly. indic Aveluate between 187.07 (January) and 169.28 (October), The food Index for the year slands at 12047, Jerease of 273 per cent. when compared "with July. 1037 (101.72), Monthly" indices fluctuate between 41843" GNovember) and 138.33 (February), The yearly clothing index. is126.54, an increase of 124 per cent. (July, 1957=11236). Monthly indices " fluctuate between 117.18 Gune) and 139.45 (November). Finally, for the general index, the month= indices uctuate between "154.49, Gay) and 167412 CAugusd, and the yearly index is at 16060, an increase. Jor. 467 per. cent. as compared with July, 1997 (10051). In other words, Jone needs now to pay S1A7 for what Jone paid only $1 just prior (0 the War.
Dollar Purchasing Power judged from two angles. From' the The values of commodities may be
Point of view of any commodity, it Trateated bye price: from the'point of view of the dalfar, i i represent Jed by the purchasing power of money, frhus, when the purchasing powers igh the: cost of living If low, and conversely. when "the. purelasing power Is low, living cos is high. The purchasing power of money and com modity prices are reeiproctls of each Jeter," the we moving. excelly" in fopposita directions: "For Insiance, {aking the July, 1037, general index: which is 10B31,'az the bone, both the eneral index for the month a ite Feciprocal will be representa by 10. the' yearly general index for 1838, feet is. 100.00, wilt then be repre: ented by 140.5, Teciprocal of which "6819." This gute, therefore, ve= presents the purchasing. power foliar for 1098. In other" words, the Purchasing power, of the real valve, fora July 103%, dollar is worth only $0300 in Tosa.
Metall Prices tu 193K
When the retail prices of the Me Jdividual commodities for 1938. are compared with Jul. 105, the pre-war month, the most. radical ner ease Jshown.in the rent group, e., the rent for one-story house Is increased by 1634" per cent. for two-story house vith no courtyard, 158.1 per cent, Jand for two-story house with cou yard, 1433 per cent. In the fuel and light' group, the price' of charcoal shovs'a rise of 117.6 per cent, useless timber 100 per cent, frewdod 95.7 per cent, and coal briquettes 77 per Jeent. In' the food group, the price of Vegetables shows the realest wearing tendency." "Spinach is ner eased. 247.6 per cent, salted. hsueh-li-hung 172.6 per cent. ching tsai 123.3 per Jcent., sweet potatoes 106.3 per cent, allium odorum 1455 per cent, "The ierease is less exorbitant in the ease fof meats and eggs. The price of beet [shows an. Increase of 27 per cent fof chicken 91.2 per cent., ud of {esl ducks eggs 66.7 per cent. Tu the case of bean products, both bean curd and ried bean curd show an increase }478 per cent. As for eice, "sion" rice His increased by 258 per' cent, and fioncglutinous rice 94" per" cent. JAmong the miscellaneous stoup, toilet Paper shows an increase of 864
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.