COST OF LIVING.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17418, 31 March 1922, Page 8

COST OF LIVING.

HAS IT FALLEN? RETAILERS ANSWER YES! Thero are still some people wflio are disposed to believe that no reduction has taken place in the cost of living, perhaps because they do not understand the index numbers presented monthly by the. Government Statistician. The> following figures obtained from leading firms should carry conviction (says the Wellington "Dominion"). For the purpose of ascertaining what has been the approximate decline in the cost of living, a reporter obtained from leading retailers fti Wellington the actual prices of commodities of standard quality and in general demand in the households of workers earning from £5 to £0 per week, and with the following result: —

Groceries—Eetail Prices.

The reductions in the above list of gooda are equal to approximately 25 per cent., or what cost £1 last year can now lie bought for 15s. Many grocers, in addition to the cut prices, give their customers a discount of 5 per cent, for prompt cash. House Linen, etc. The fall in commodity prices does not stop at groceries, for tJhere is even a more pronounced decline in liousa linen, clothing for women and men, and soft furnishings for the home. The following table illustrates this: —

The contraction in prices in the above lists represents approximately 35 pe\* cent., and the items quoted are standard lines. The Furniture List. In the standard lines of furniture there have been reductions, .and the following are lines which experience riiiows are usually purchased by thosd whose circumstances are being considered: —

The reductions in this group are equal to 18j per cent, as compared with last year. It is not suggested that the above items exhaust the list of goods on which reductions have been made during the past year, for there are many articles needed in the home that have Lad their prices cut. The tendency is for further reductions, owing to labour costs being reduced. In the furniture trade, where the minimum wage is £5 Is 9d per week, employera have been paying up to £6 los, but last week a cut was announced, and the top wage is now £5 15s. Furthermore, at the reduced wages the workers are said to bo giving a better return, and that is being noted in all parts of the world.

AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. (Received March 30th, 9.45 p.m) SYDNEY, March 80. Oats—Algerian feed 3s 9d to 4», white 4s 2d. Maize —Yellow 5s 3d, white sa. Potatoes —Tasmanian £6 10s to £8 10a. Onions—Victorian £8 10s. ADELAIDE, March 80. Oats—3e. THE PROPERTY MARKET. Several city and suburban properties were offered for sale by auction by Messrs W. E. Simes and Co. yesterday afternoon, ana, with one exception, all wore sold. Mr W. E. Simes was the auctioneer. A five-roomed bungalow property at the corner of Shirley road and Thornton street was sold for £lllO, to Mr F. B. Robinson. A small section at the corner of Barbadoes street and Clyde street was sold to Mr J. T. Butcher lor £l5O, and a five-roomed house with two acrgs in Biigh's road, Papanui, waa sold to Mr W* Fleming for £lOlO. A five-roomed bungalow in Medway street, off North Parade Shirley, was passed in at £IO6O. ' HUDDART, PARKER, LTD. Commenting upon the company's balancesheet at the annual meeting of Huddart Parker, Lkailed, held in Sydney on March 23rd, the chairman, Mr W. j.. Appleton, said the average dividend to ordinary shareholders for the last ten years was 9.45 per cent. The companay had accumulated a substantial reserve, the larger proportion of it being from surplus on the sale of ships and the appreciation of other assets taken over from the proprietary company. Even if conditions of trade warranted it the company had as yet, owing to the high cost of building new vessels, been unable to replace with modem vessels any of the tonnage disposed of. The company's colliery and railway interests were so far on a satisfactory basis, but there was room for a. large increase in the output of coal. A further development of the property at the Metropolitan Colliery at Helensburgh waa under consideration.

Last year's To-day's pn'ces. prices. s. d. s. d. Bacon, shouldsra .. .. 1 3 0 91 to 1 0 Bacon, middle cut .. 1 6 1 3 Bashers ... 1 a to 1 2 1 5 Butter .. 2 3 to 1 4 1 G Cb-eeae .. 1 1 1 0 Eggs, per doz. 3 9 2 6 Oatmeal, 25's .. 8 0 6 3 Pearl barley .. 0 41 0 31 Cornflour .. .. 0 10 0 61 Rico .. 0 8 0 4 Sago .. .. .. 0 41 0 4 Tapioca .. .. 0 41 0 4 Tinned milk .. 1 4 1 1 Sugar, per lb .. .. 0 6J 0 41 Janij lib tins .. .. 1 0 0 11 Raisins .. .. .. 1 9 1 3 Prunes .. .. .. 0 11 0 10 Herrings, fresh .. .. 1 0 0 10 Salt, per lb .. 0 2 0 11 Best baking powder .. 2 9 1 10 Cream of tartar .. .. 8 6 2 0 Carbonate soda .. 0 6 0 4 t'eel .. .. .. 2 0 1 6 ijoap .. .. .. 1 4 1 0 Candles >. .. .. 1 4 1 11 Kerosene, per tin .. .. 13 6 9 6 Wax vestas .. .. 1 2 0 11 Golden syrup .. 1 0 0 10 Sultanas .. •• .. 1 4 1 3 T"lour, 25lb .. 7 9 6 6 Ham, per lb .. 1 6 *■>*

Horrockca's caJioo, 86m .. £ s. d. £ s. d. 0 2 11 0 1 ,9 Finlay's Bheeting, double bed' 0 8 11 0 B 6 Imported flannelette, 36in 0 2 11 0 1 11 Madopolam, 42in 0 3 6 0 2 3 Linen table damask 17 6 0 17 6 Table napkins, per doz. 2 10 0 1 19 6 Linen tea towelling, per yard 0 3 11 0 2 6 Turkish towels, each .. 0 6 3 0 4 11 Ladles' Wear. Navy Berge, B6in. per yard 2 2 0 1 1 6 Black coating, 56in, per yard 1 15 0 0 16 6 All wool gubardine, E6in per yard 2 2 0 0 18 6 French face cloth, EOin 1 IS 0 0 16 6 All wool suiting, C6in .. 17 6 0 13 11 Girls' school eerge, 66in 0 17 6 0 9 11 Women's ca&hmero hose— t First quality .. 0 14 11 0 8 11 Second quality 0 10 6 0 6 11 Girla' &oae 0 6 11 0 4 9 Men's Clothing. Striped eambiic shirts .. 0 18 1 0 8 11 Cashmere socks 0 5 6 0 8 9 Superior raincoats 10 10 0 7 '5 0 Other raincoats 5 17 6 4 10 0 Suits to measura 9 9 0 6 6 0 Boys' college suits 2 5 0 1 12 6 Boys' college suits 4 7 C -3 9 0 Soft Furnishings. Casement cloth, per yard 0 5 6 0 8 9 Poplin, 48in 0 15 6 0 8 11 Cretonnes, 32in 1 ... 0 6 6 0 8 11 Blind Holland', 36in .. 0 4 11 0 8 9 Axminster carpeting, running yard 18 6 1 0 6

Sri«boaid, oak .. 16 16 0 15 0 0 Extension table .. 13 13 0 11 10 0 Dining chairs .. .. 2 10 0 2 2 0 Wardrobe .. 14 14 0 12 15 0 Dnchcsse chest .. .. 10 10 0 8 15 0 Bedstead complete .. 13 5 0 10 IT Kitchen table .. .. 2 10 0 1 15 0 Kitchen chair ..17 6 1 1 0 Carpet square .. .. 21 0 0 14 10 0