1922.] Agricultueal Wages, Prices and Cost of Living. 773 



meiit of wages, prices and cost of living was approximately as 

 follows : — 



Percentage Increase as Comtarkd with Pre-war Pates. 



Agricultural Prices of Agri- Cost of 



Month. 





Wages. 



cultural Produce. 



Living 



August 



1017 



39 



97 



80 



July 



11)18 



()9 



123 



105 



May 



1911) 



110 



132 



105 



April 



1920 



139 



199 



132 



August 



1920 



.. ■ 160 



177 



155 



September ... 



1921 



135 



116 



120 



October 



1921 



122 



86 



110 



November 



1921 



110 



79 



103 



December 



1921 



105 



76 



99 



It will be seen that agricultural wages rose but slowly and 

 failed to keep pace with the increase in the cost of living up 

 to May, 1919, when an adjustment was made which brought 

 them somewhat above that figure. The further increases in 

 wages granted in 1920 appear to have maintained them above 

 the cost of living figures, and notwithstanding the subsequent 

 decline the rates were on the whole favourable to the workers 

 up to the end of 1921. 



If a comparison is made between wages and the prices of 

 farm produce, it will be seen that while the latter rose much 

 more rapidly than wages, they also fell more rapidly, so that 

 by the end of 1921 they had reached a lower level than either 

 wages or the cost of living. At the beginning of 1922 a re- 

 adjustment took place which brought wages more closely into 

 relation with farm prices, but left them rather below the 

 increase in the cost of living. 



Percentage Increase as Compared wrin Pre-war Pates. 



Month. 



Agricultural 



Prices of Agri- 



Cost of 



1922. 



W ages. 



cultural Produce. 



Living. 



January ... 



86 



75 



92 



February 



83 



79 



88 



March 



80 



77 



86 



April 



79 



70 



82 



May 



78 



71 



81 



June 



78 



68 



80 



July 



78 



72 



84 



August ... 



76 



67 



81 



September 



75 



57 



79 



October ... 



60 



59 



78 



The movement in the spring and summer of 1922 was slowly 

 downward, but during October wages have been appreciably 

 reduced in almost all districts with the result that, on the 



