Mr. Sullivan Back To The Attack

Chronicle (Levin), 4 June 1948, Page 7

Mr. Sullivan Back To The Attack

- Press A&sociationj

(Per

WELLINGTON, June 3. In spite of cabled contradictions from Sydney, Mr. Suilivan, M.P. for Bay of Plenty, maintains his contention that New Zealand prices in general, and building prices in partieular, are higher than those in Australia. Mr. Suilivan, wlid is at present ih Whakatane, told The Post by telephone this morning that he is receiving letters corroboratiug the opinions he expressed! "In my njail yesterday, 1 ' he saidj ' ' 1 received two letters from New Zealanders who recently returned fronj. Australia, and one from an Australian who recently came over here to work in the building trade, confirming what I said. The Australian tradesman, now living in Taranaki, said he had broughi witli him his complete kit of tools because he had been warned thatxtools were 25 per cent. dearer than in Australia, and had giuce foupd that to be so. I can also quote Mr. A, L.. O'Bonnell, who in April, 1947, came over from Australia; to take the position of lecturef iii electrical ''enginoei'ing at Auckland University College, . b,ut resigned in November to returil to Sydney, as. he and . his family had been obliged' to iive in a seaside. bach. costing £3 os a week, and he considered that living costs in. New Zealand were 50 per cent. higher than in Sydney. ' ' Startling ' ' discrepancy.

' ' May 1 also qtiote - .the . ' statement. published in The .Post on.May 29, 1947, by iMr. A. B. Bladk, •'aM'' .Ahstrajiah buiider thon visitihg New - Zealand, who Said the New Zeaiand authorities might well investigate: kousing costs, as the discrepancy be'tjVeeii Australian and New Zealand prices -was. 'startling.' Bveii Mr. Ohifley,' frdiil remarks he made to me at Oanberra, was sur[irised- at' the higli building costs iii New Zealand, which he; "had noticed during his recent viyif. "The fact tliat-. exainples can, be quoted of partieular houses.. costing more has little bearing- on the position as a whqle. I obtained reliable liguTes of building costs in Queensland, and from observations iii V ictoria and -New Soutli Wales, concluded that they wero fairly repre.sentativ-e Of Costs elsewhere. The Queensland figures wero prepared by Ihe Government statislician and published in Bulletin No. 15, 1948, The Suuday Mail, Brisbane, on Ajiril 11, 1948, published an article giving £133 -per 100 square feet as the averaeg cost of a bfick liousej and £110 to £120 per 100 square' feet as the average cost of a wooden house. " ' - Produce Prices.

Referring -to prices of fruit and vegetables, Mr. iSuilivan ; shid citydwellers in New Zealand would be glad to buy these at the prices quoted by Mr. Mentiplay, especially grapes at ls^a jHiund and mandarihs at 2d. Something might well have' been mentioned about otliei- Australian prices, such as tea at 2s 9(1 a pound, sugar 4id, canned peaches at is- 5d a 30oz' tin, and hutidreds of other lines, prices- o'f which could be veritied by feference to the Australian Grocor, published in Alelbourne and dateJ April 20, 1948: There iV,'P^e aQ^.subsidies in New Zealand, totaljhig over £12,000,000 a year." . "Tliere is, obyiously little point in continuuig long-range argument," continued Alr. laullivan, *'but may .L nialce tlie.se final l'riendly observations: First Byduey is not all Australia. If. Mr, Mentiplay cannot buy shirts for 10s and 18s in Sydney, lie might try the Myer Eniporium in Mel bourne, where I bought mine. ' He inight also, Lf he can get an impoft licence, seild here a few thousand shirts witli- t"tro collars, seliing at 19s. He would find th'ev vvould receive a warm welcome. Se.con dly, it is ainusing that.witlx Labour Uovernmcnts in otiice on both Mdes of the 1 asman wc sliould have. this spirited discussion as to which is sufl'ering the worst from higli living costs. FinUlly, 1 think it would benclit. Australians, and also New Zealanders living in AusLialia to visit New Zealand and study current prices for theinselves. Thev would soon tind they have niuch to bo thankful for."