COST OF LIVING COMMISSION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1453, 30 May 1912, Page 6

COST OF LIVING COMMISSION.

STATEMENT BY HON. G. LAVRENSON. (By. Telegraph-Press Association.) Christchurch, May 20. Tho Hon. G. Laurenson stated 10-dav that the only complaint levelled against the Cost of Living Commission had been that by tho Employers' Federation, which represented that the board should include some authority on political economy or statisticians of standing. In reply to'that, ho stated that tho commission included two representatives of the farmers, two representatives of Labour (both of whom had taken keen interest in the. question), a representative- of tho manufacturing industries, a representative of the mercantile interests, tho Labour Department (Mr. E. Tregear, who was very widely read on the subject), and Mr. Collins, vlio was third officer in charge of the Department, and who had recently contributed to the Labour Journal n. very interesting paper on the cost of living. Mr. John Ross, of Dunedin, had just advised him that he would be unable to act on the commission owing to tho illness of one of his partners. It was intended to appoint someone in tho placo of Mr. Ross. I here seemed to bo a very widespread desire that the tariff should be gone into during tho coming session. Ho was uncertain what decision Cabinet would coino to, but in any case the Department would be prepared to handle the subject when the House met.

(To the- Editor.) Sir,—A Eoynl Commission has been set • up to "discover whether tho cost of living has been increased during the last twenty years. Now, every man about town knows that the tariffs of board and lodginghouses, according to their grades, have not been altered for the last thirty years, and this in the main answers the question. Perhaps a houso at a given prico has been slightly improved in its table or accommodation, but otherwise thoy aro as they then were. Then, asregards clothing and bools, increased taxation may liavo prevented the decliuo which would have occurred, but that is home ungrudgingly to enable the rate of wages lo be maintained, and except, for fancy sorts there has really been no increase of price. As lo rent in this city, there has been an advance, prominently tram a speculative demand for hind, enhanced by Government buying u.nd by excessive valuation and taxation, both by the general and municipal governments. On top of this the price has been run up by extra cost of local materials and bv labour with its decline in efficiency, as aUo by taxation on inipjrted building requirements. From these causes the average cost of every house and -eetinn has probably been railed by /ill per ii-nl., and rents have gone up by, sav, 20 per tent. Now every lean knows all I his. e.xc.-ot tin, grievance-monger, towards which T am sorry In say that by this appointment Die .Mackenzie Government appears to lie trending. Still, to the sober-minded man the above is a fair summary of Die position.—l am, etc., SIMPLE FACTS.