It was necessary to multiply the "A" group by 3, in order to bring the proportionate number of adults and children in the budgets with which we were dealing into conformity with the national proportion (5 to 2). The figures for the three groups having been totalled separately, those obtained for the "A" group were weighted accordingly. It was found, however, that the difference between the "weights" obtained by the first and by the second methods were so small as to be quite negligible, as is shown by the following tables:-- PERCENTAGE INCREASES FROM JULY, 1914, TO MARCH, 1922, AS SHOWN BY THE APPLICATION OF POST OFFICE PRICES.[A] ----------+-------+-----------+-------+--------+-----------+--------- | | | | Fuel | | Total Budget | Food. | Clothing. | Rent. | and | Sundries. | for all Grouping. | | | | Light. | | Items. ----------+-------+-----------+-------+--------+-----------+--------- S+C+A | 99.8 | 97.1 | 27.3 | 120.6 | 104.2 | 95.5 S+C+3A | 99.9 | 97.3 | 27.3 | 124.9 | 104.1 | 95.7 ----------+-------+-----------+-------+--------+-----------+--------- PERCENTAGE INCREASES FROM JULY, 1914, TO MARCH, 1922, AS SHOWN BY THE APPLICATION OF MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT PRICES. ----------+-------+-----------+----------+--------+-----------+--------- | | | | Fuel | | Total Budget | Food. | Clothing. | Rent.[A] | and | Sundries. | for all Grouping. | | | | Light. | | Items. ----------+-------+-----------+----------+--------+-----------+--------- S+C+A | 88.2 | 91.4 | 27.3 | 116.8 | 97.0 | 86.9 S+C+3A | 88.3 | 92.0 | 27.3 | 117.2 | 96.9 | 87.0 ----------+-------+-----------+----------+--------+-----------+--------- [A: Figures obtained for Local Government Board only.] It may be mentioned here that if weights are obtained for the "S" group of households only, _i.e._, for an average of two adults, and 3.5 children, the final increase in the cost of living figures would be 91.2 for March, 1922, and 84.6 for June, 1922, _i.e._, practically identical with the figures obtained by "weighting" in accordance with all the budgets. (4) _Table of Weights._ The following Table shows the actual Irish "weights," representing the proportionate expenditure by the average wage-earning household on the various commodities, as compiled from the budgets received. The actual Irish weights or proportions of expenditure on each item are as follow:--