ECONOMIC CAUSES OF DEPLETION 71 



rnodities to 129.5. The sudden drop in textiles in the 

 following year, from 126.1 in 190T to 111.0 in 1908, 

 brought down the average index figure for all com- 

 modities for the year to 120.8, while the figure for 

 farm products had gone up to 131.1. In 1909, when 

 the general figure was 121.2, that for agricultural pro- 

 ductions had grown to 134.9. In 1910 the general 

 index number reached 124, but the farm index number 

 had soared to 136.9. In 1911 the figures had become 

 127.2 for all articles, and 139.4 for the farm's share. 

 But in the bulletin issued for the month of June, 1912, 

 when the cost of living throughout Canada, as indicated 

 by the index number for wholesale prices in general, 

 had reached the highest point since our records began 

 to be kept, the highest since our prices were driven 

 upward by the civil war in the United States, namely 

 136.9, the average index for all agricultural products 

 throughout Canada had soared to the incredible height 

 of 172.7. This is demonstrative evidence that the agri- 

 cultural base of modern life is with us in Canada insuf- 

 ficient. A greater production on the farm is impera- 

 tively demanded for the nation's sake. 



Of equally absorbing interest is a detailed compari- 

 son of the factors in the cost of living due to the prices 

 of different classes of goods for the month named, June, 

 1912. The index figure for beef is an even 200; that 

 for poultry, 222 ; for all animals and meats, 178.9 ; 

 for all grains and fodders, 189.5; for all dairy pro- 

 ducts lowest among produce of the farm 137.4; for 

 all other foods, 185.3. But the very highest of all 

 lines apart from farm products is just on a level with 

 the lowest of these, the index figure for boots and shoes 

 being 137.9. That for all building materials comes 



