the Netherlands Government has made arrangements with these and other municipalities for the transfer of unemployed workers during 1929. The work in the rural districts would consist principally of land reclamation, road making, canal and bridge construction, etc. The stipulated conditions of work and living of the unemployed in the rural districts are as follows: The workers will be housed on farms suitable for this purpose, each having space to lodge from 50 to 75 workers. Five barracks, especially built for this purpose and each providing quarters for 100 persons, were erected in the Province of Drenthe. These barracks are divided into small houses, each lodging eight persons, and having a joint living room and separate bedrooms. A cook, with his wife and assistants, looks after the food supply of a "settlement" of 100 persons, all the necessary materials being available. Sanitary provisions, such as running water, lavatories, etc., have been made and the welfare of the workers safeguarded by every reasonable means. Similar settlements are located in the Province of Overysel. Practically all work is to be performed on a piecework basis. After some training the average wages are 15 florins ($6.03) for a week of 50 hours. In addition to this, the government and municipalities provide a bonus of 75 per cent, so that the total wages will average 26.25 florins ($10.55). During the training period, which will probably extend over a period of four weeks, a training bonus of, respectively, 10, 7.5, 5, and 2.5 Dutch cents (4, 3, 2, and 1 American cents) per hour will be added. No training bonus is paid to persons who have worked under this plan for a period longer than six weeks. Every other week the workers are provided with free transportation to their homes in the cities. They leave Friday night after work is finished and return Monday morning. On the Saturday on which the workers do not return to their homes, their wives receive 17.50 florins ($7.04) from the wages of the previous week, or correspondingly less if the wages were below 23.85 florins ($9.59). The amount of 3.85 florins ($1.55) is deducted from the weekly wages for the furnishing of warm food, coffee, tea, etc., and for the cleaning and heating of the house. The workers must purchase their own bread, for which purpose a baker calls daily. The cook is not allowed to arrange for the purchase of bread. Each worker must provide his own tools. Since the nature of the soil varies according to locality, it is advisable that implements be purchased on the spot. Any damage to house or contents as a result of carelessness, negligence, or malice, must be paid in full by the person responsible. Although the mixed composition of the various settlements may lead to a certain amount of friction, it is not expected that serious difficulties will be encountered. Every settlement will have a committee of three or four workers, appointed by the trade-unions, and any complaints or demands reaching these committees, from either organized or unorganized workers, will be submitted to the tradeunions which, in turn, will take the question up with the proper authorities. Days Employment per Worker in Russian Industry THE HE following table shows how the average days per worker in a working year are distributed-as to employment, holidays, days laid off, etc.-in large-scale industries in the Province (Gubernia) of Moscow during the five years from 1923-24 to 1927-28. The figures are taken from the Statistical Economic Handbook of the City and Province of Moscow for 1923-24-1927-28 (p. 158). There were 522,800 workers in large-scale industries in the Province of Moscow on January 1, 1928. DISTRIBUTION OF WORKING YEAR PER WORKER IN LARGE-SCALE INDUSTRIES IN THE PROVINCE OF MOSCOW, 1923-24 TO 1927-28 WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PRICES TH Retail Prices of Food in the United States HE following tables are compiled from monthly reports of actual selling prices received by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from retail dealers. Table 1 shows for the United States retail prices of food April 15, 1928, March 15, and April 15, 1929, as well as the percentage changes in the year and in the month. For example, the retail price per quart of fresh milk was 14.1 cents on April 15, 1928; 14.3 cents on March 15, 1929; and 14.2 cents on April 15, 1929. These figures show an increase of 1 per cent in the year and a decrease of 1 per cent in the month. The cost of various articles of food combined shows a decrease of 0.3 per cent April 15, 1929, as compared with April 15, 1928, and a decrease of 0.9 per cent April 15, 1929, as compared with March 15, 1929. TABLE 1.-AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF SPECIFIED FOOD ARTICLES AND PER CENT OF INCREASE OR DECREASE APRIL 15, 1929, COMPARED WITH MARCH 15, 1929, AND APRIL 15, 1928 [Percentage changes of five-tenths of 1 per cent and over are given in whole numbers] ! In addition to monthly retail prices of food and coal, the bureau publishes the prices of gas and elec tricity from each of 51 cities for the dates for which these data are secured. TABLE 1.-AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF SPECIFIED FOOD ARTICLES AND PER CENT OF INCREASE OR DECREASE APRIL 15, 1929, COMPARED WITH MARCH 15, 1929, AND APRIL 15, 1928-Continued Table 2 shows for the United States average retail prices of specified food articles on April 15, 1913, and on April 15, of each year from 1923 to 1929, together with percentage changes in April of each of these specified years, compared with April, 1913. For example, the retail price per pound of butter was 40.4 cents in April, 1913; 57.3 cents in April, 1923; 50.1 cents in April, 1924; 53.3 cents in April, 1925; 50.9 cents in April, 1926; 58.4 cents in April, 1927; 55.1 cents in April, 1928; and 55.7 cents in April, 1929. As compared with April, 1913, these figures show increases of 42 per cent in April, 1923; 24 per cent in April, 1924; 32 per cent in April, 1925; 26 per cent in April, 1926; 45 per cent in April, 1927; 36 per cent in April, 1928; and 38 per cent in April, 1929. The cost of the various articles of food combined showed an increase of 54.6 per cent in April, 1929, as compared with April, 1913. TABLE 2.-AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES OF SPECIFIED FOOD ARTICLES AND PER CENT OF INCREASE APRIL 15 OF CERTAIN specified YEARS COMPARED WITH APRIL 15, 1913 [Percentage changes of five-tenths of 1 per cent and over are given in whole numbers] Article Average retail price on Apr. 15 Per cent of increase Apr. 15 of each specified year compared with Apr. 15, 1913 1913 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 .do.. Chuck roast.....do.. Plate beef..... do... Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Cts. Sirloin steak..pound.. 25.5 37.9 39.6 40. 4 41. 1 41.8 45. 349.0 Round steak....do. 22.2 32.3 33.6 34.6 35.2 36.4 39. 643, 4 45 51 56 59 Rib roast. 20.0 27.8 29.0 29.7 30.230.9 33.436.3 16. 2 19.7 20.9 21.6 22.3 23.3 26. 129.5 12.2 12.7 13.3 13.8 14.7 15.2 17.920.6 39 70 49 55 58 61 22 29 33 38 31 33 70 77 45 49 51 13 20 Lamb, leg of..........do.. .do.. 20. 2 36.2 38.8 38.6 37.9 40.0 39. 741.8 31.2 31.1 31.2 37.8 32.7 35. 431. 4 8.9 13.6 13. 8 13.8 13.9 14.0 14. 114. 2 46 35 74 81 79 60 62 67 102 106 114 91 78 92 78 95 47 69 45 72 106 79 92 91 88 98 97 107 71 82 75 70 88 55 56 57 58 60 333 32 26 45 1 Beginning with January, 1921, index numbers showing the trend in the retail cost of food have been composed of the articles shown in Tables 1 and 2, weighted according to the consumption of the average family. From January, 1913, to December, 1920, the index numbers included the following articles: Sirloin steak, round steak, rib roast, chuck roast, plate beef, pork chops, bacon, ham, lard, hens, flour, corn meal, eggs, butter, milk, bread, potatoes, sugar, cheese, rice, coffee, and tea. |