(a) Collection of Figures for 1914.
There are obvious difficulties in the collection of figures for 1914 after so long a lapse of time, and the accuracy of these figures may possibly be questioned.
Despite the eight years' interval, however, we believe these prices to be reasonably accurate. The compilers of the returns were asked to get figures in every case from the actual books kept by the shopkeepers; and the food prices collected by us are in substantial agreement with those collected by the Board of Trade in 1914. The latter are, as a matter of fact, slightly higher than those collected by us, so that if they were to be used in preference to our figures the resultant percentage increase would be slightly lower than on the figures which we have accepted.
(b) Comparison Restricted to Strictly Comparable Articles.
A point to be noted is that in comparing prices at different dates it is essential that articles of different quality should not be compared; milk, for instance, is a simple commodity and is always comparable with milk, but beef is a variable commodity inasmuch as sirloin beef is not strictly comparable with shin beef; consequently special figures showing the relative consumption and average prices of the different parts of beef, mutton and bacon were obtained on Form B3 (see Appendix), and in these cases the prices as returned for each description of meat are separately weighted by the average quantities purchased in order to arrive at the ultimate average prices for "beef," "mutton," etc.
As regards all other articles, it will be seen from the instructions on the forms that pains were taken to explain that prices must only be returned for strictly comparable articles.
(c) Accuracy of Rent Figures.
A point likely to give rise to criticism is the low percentage increase shown for rent. This figure is, however, the result of comparing the actual returns sent us by the Town Clerks and Rate Collectors, who gave the actual name of the street and the actual number of each house, and on the closest investigation we have no reason to doubt the accuracy of their figures. The average weekly rents (including rates) appearing from those returns are:—
| Average Weekly Rent (including Rates). | |
| July,1914 | 4s. 0d. |
| March, 1922 | 5s. 2d. |
| June, 1922 | 5s. 2d. |
(d) Comparison of Figures received from Post Office and other Sources.