ZreLATIVE prices weighted according to the AVERA6E CONSUMPTION

15 PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF FOOD,

OF THE VARIOUS AfiTICLES OF FOOD IN WORKINCMEWS FAMILIES.

F;m e-«au. of L»l..r St».t;»e;ci, U.S. D./...rm.«f ^

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Counesy of F. J. WaTne, Washington, D. C.

Fig. 95. Relative Retail Prices of Fifteen Principal Articles of Food in the United States, 1890 to 1912, by Simple Averages and by Weighted Averages. Average Prices for the Years 1890 to 1899, Inclusive, Were Taken as 100 Per Cent

The solid line shows ordinary averages of the prices for each year considered. In order to get the data for the dotted line, estimates were carefully made of the average consumption in workingmen's families of each of the fifteen various articles of food. The food prices were then "weighted" in proportion to the quantities of each kind actually consumed and the averages shown by the dotted line were obtained. The prices of foods to the workmen did not increase as much as the simple averages shown by the solid line would indicate

There is such a great quantity of data arranged in convenient form for reference, it seems Hkely that a person wishing to study railroad operation could obtain more insight into present-day railroad conditions by two-hours' study of this series of charts than he could pos-

GRAPHIC METHODS

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IndtistHal Depressions, iv 0. H. HvU

Fig. 96. A Study of Steel-Construction Work in the United States from 1896 to 1910 as Related to the Financial Condition of