THE.MICHIGAN DAILY Page Three THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Three Consumer index leaps to near-record levels AP Photo BRITISH POLICEMEN search for clues in London's Mall the morning after the gun attack on Prin- cess Anne and her husband, Captain Mark Phillips. A suspect was detained in the case yesterday. ANNE'S.ASSAILANT: Kidnapping suspect taken WASHINGTON (P) - The Con- sumer Price Index for Febru- ary, released yesterday showed that food prices increased again sharply. "Our own estimate is that it will be the last month with a really poor record," Dunlop of the Cost of Living Council said Wednesday. He said food prices in March, April and May should. increase at a much more moder- ate rate than in previous months. THE 1.3 per cent rise in con- sumer prices last month, the same both seasonally and un- adjusted, was the second big- gest monthly jump since Febru- ary 1951 and was exceeded only by the 1.9 per cent increase re- corded last August following the lifting of the administration's price freeze. Food prices rose 23.per cent last month, while non-food com- modities increased 1 per cent, and services climbed seven- tenths of 1 per cent . The increase in nonfood com- modities was traceable to a con- tinued rise in fuel prices, with gasoline and motor oil up 5.3 per cent to a level 30.9 per cent above a year ago. GASOLINE alone jumped 5.5 per cent over the month, with the price of regular grade gas increasing to a national average of 49.1 cents per gallon and pre- mium up to 52.7 cents per gallon. Prices also rose for apparel, household goods and newspapers. Used car prices dropped sharp- ly, while new car prices also fell, but at a rate less than us- ual in February. GROCERY prices - the major portion of the food index - were up 3 per cent last month, substantially more than usual for February, the government said. The price of restaurant meals and snacks - food away from home-was up sevenths of 1 per cent. . The surge in- beef prices fol- lowed a smaller increase in Jan- uary and declines in the last three months of 1973. Fresh vege- table prices also rose last month instead of falling as they usually do. About the only decline in food prices was that for poultry. DAILY OFFICIAL BULLETIN +:.xr:x+ ;r?'a e'::}: 3{"::.°:t.{S {=