COST OF LIVING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1458, 5 June 1912, Page 4

COST OF LIVING.

THE ROYAL COMMISSION. EVIDENCE AT DUNEDIN. .By Telecrnen— Press Association.l Dunedin, Juue i. The lioynl Commission appointed to inquire into the cost of living in New Zealand opened its sittings at Dunedin this morning. Mr. E. Tregoar presided, the other members present being Messrs. A. Fairbairn, E. Hall, M'Donald, Veitcti, M.P., and Robertson, M,P. Mr. Robert Breeii, secretary of tho Otago Trades and, Labour Council, asked how lonir the Commission, would remain in Dunedin. The chnirmnn: About a. week.. Mr. Brecn intimated tlint his council .would not meet until Thursday night, and evidence could,not be forthcoming on their behalf until after .then. lie himself declined to give evidence as secretary at present. The chairman suggested that Mr. Breen might subsequently' submit tnbulatod material prepared for the Arbitration Court. WAGES AND PRICES. The first witness was Mr. Steve Borohnm, who described himself as a "general labourer, sailmaker, shearer, blacksmith, etc." Ho raid that in Oamaru (luring tho period of 1890-M sheep could be bought for Is. to Is. Gd., fresh butter -6(U to Bd. lb., potatoes 2s. to ss. per ba" of two cwt., bread sd. per 41b. loaf. The price of clothing had remained unaltered, despite Customs remissions. Tho general wage of unskilled labour in the period of 1890-96 was Bs. to 10s. per day. Shearing was 15s. per 100 (as against 20s. now), and harvesting Is; to Is. 4(1. per hour (which was in excess of the present'rate). At present butter was from Is. to Is. Grt. per lb., yet dairy producers only received equivalent to 4d. lo Bd. lb. for butter. Tho reason was that foreign ngents cleared the market and created a shortage. The remedy would be to get these agents, most of whom were farmers' sous, on to tho land, doin" useful work. It was evident there was an understanding among butchers to keep up prices, not to exploit tho public, but to recoup themselves for what they paid for fnt stock. Hβ declared that agents purchased sheep from fnrmers at 10=. to 12s. each, yet butchers paid 233. 6(1. for a sheep at Burnside. Commission agents were to blame for running up prices. 1 COAL. Mr. George Joachim, managing director of the Westport CfSal Company, said the effect of the awards of the Arbitration Court in the coal mining industry had certainly been to increase wages, but the Westport Company had borne the increases so far, and had not passed them on to the public by increasing tho prico of coal. Tho -wholesale price of coal during the last ten years was 5 per cent, less than during the preceding ten years. The chairman: How can you pay lugher wages and sell coal at a cheaper rate? Witness: Wβ have made less profit, and in. times past when business was better wo provided better plant and mado belter facilities for delivering coal. Gradually theso advantages are being eaten up by incrcasee in. labour. There has been no rise in the price of coal except within the last few months. A commissioner: But we are paying more for Westport coal than previously. Witness: The retail price is now 20 per cent, lower than it was some years ago. This has been accomplished by our distributing the coal ourselves. Wβ have taken the profit from the middleman. The chairman: Wliflt has been tho effect of the establishment of State coal depots? Witness: I do not know. Wo established our depots here beforo the Stato coal depots. Possibly State competition may have sharpened us up a bit. Any rise in price has not been contributed to by the Westport Co. Wo have depots at Christchurch, Wellington, Timaru, Oomani, and Duneilin, and the prices charged depend on freights, port charges, handling faeili.ties, etc. The company owned two colliers, and had an arrangement with the Union Company to provide the steamers required and send them' wherever the Westport Coal Company directed. The coal cbmpany's aini was to ensure a regular output, and the inincra reaped the benefit in the most regular employment of any coal mine in Australasia. The company would execute orders for the delivery of n cargo of coal at any port, but reserved the right to quote for such cargo. Mr. Veitch: Is there any arrangement between the Westport Coal Coir.pany and any other company to regulate tho price oi coal? Witness: None whatever. The chairman: Is thoro any understanding between the Westport Company and the Union Steam Ship Company to give them preference in regard to coal? Witness: It is an entirely ft'oo and open arrangement. We havu the right to charter other steamers and the Union Company are at perfect liberty to buy coal from any company they like, and to carrj coal for any company they like. Witness promised to forward to th« Commission a written statement showing a- number of details of prices, etc., at different periods in the Inst ten yeaTS. He had carefully kept account of his household expenses. The number of persons comprised in the household during that period had remained stationary. As regarded the cost of food and clothing, tho second period showed an increase of 8 per cent. Fuel and light woro much the same. Wages (to indoor servauts) had increased 33 per cent. Rates had also increased. THE PISH TRADE. Mr. Prancis Joseph Sullivan, merchant, said he had been exporting since 1889. In his opinion prices had not increased to the public within that time. He had tried four years of business in retailing fish, poultry, and rabbits, but ho bud Iteen glad to get out of it, owing chiefly to the harassing effect of Labour legislation, Labour Department officials, and labour unions. As to the wholesale fish trade, there was competition in supply, liesides himself (owning two trawlers), there trawling company and two wholesale salesmen, and there was no combination whatever atnong them to control the market. There was a union of hook and line fishermen at Port Chalmers who had agreed among themselves to limit the catch of each boat so as to regulate supplies. There was a far bigger demand for fish in winter than in summer, whereas supplies were less. The average retail price of flounders of average size was •Is. per dozen. During the past five years family trade would show higher average prices because of delivery, etc. Private people, who thought they were getting K worth of fish'really ?ot <td. v.orth of fish and Sd. worth of service. He believed in a wholesale market for _fi.=h. but if a retail market .wero. established the trouble was that sometimes the public stayed away, and the fish went bad. The whole trouble was onn of distribution. Italian fishermen here seemed to do lx>;t. Account ?nle; he had seen last week were as high ns £20 per boat, equal to ,£lO per man for a week. The standard of living had increased. Peooln who \l3ed to Iμ satisfied with proper, ling, and red cod, now wanted blue cod, kingfish, and flounders. Mr. Steve Boreham, on being'recalled, aaid ho had ascertained (here was a ring amongst butchers in Dnnedin, whilst those buying potatoes in small quantities, that was the householder, paid greatly enhanced prices on those paid bv the wholesale man. 'A witness vouchsafed tho information that in the matter of the pnrelmso of furniture those buying on Ihe time-pay-ment system paid at least (en jior cent, more than if they bought outmht. The commission ndjourncd until in-dnv, and will probably sit in Dunecliu until Saturday.