COST OF LIVING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1463, 11 June 1912, Page 2

COST OF LIVING.

THE COMMISSION AT CHPIbT. CHUfiGH. - 'J'JMIjLR \.VI) MIN'D V \UJ};S. a Msi or urjyi\LY rxpr^sra,

Press: Assoclation.jj^W:; Chi istcliurch, Juno 10 uf'Jriijuiry inla/i; tliu; eaiiscs^i-espoiisiblQfa- the coht. of j ] iyjiiy*oijoiic'd;'i ts sittings' 1 in Chris'.-.... . church IhirV lnoi'iiii-.f^,". 1 at the Cniiiicil Clmwbi'is. • • -V

•'-.Mr. W. .11. ]l6<vn(er •iaifi'i tfiat iifl was-. . Jieei'ton, ami had thirty." £ .!£ ul V>'^y: tlio' timber trade.;J..iC'rai"ounl, ill; timlier ■exported ten years;*':'n!!.', 1 r !° Coast r was aboutM ; ,;i. o r t,]u! Inst'two years it:-# (i 11,0110,000 iVot. 'lie had !'•" 1 ')MM ;>•" liin prices of . timber.";. l he (West .Const- Timber Company;';,"-' ■ |)ut tho?a prices did not ffl l .V" < i l ; 1 !, 1 ' 0111 thl! M'itw ■" ;y.pP-! lh ' 1 1. , .' : I ;" o !'°■■wns'iiot roam for-much-, dincrciicp.y,.liyeive years ago red pmowa# . ;!«Ict-ftt s »sA.W.!( to;6s? on. a basis of-''lug.;. present; the wholcsnlo prices' f.o.b. riuii,'.".! miMns. l« 7s. ad. for l-midi 'limber,! HiuU)3 v Gd. lor,dressed lines. ]}ur-£"'' J .ui g^tho^period,'* wages increased from Jj&i■;:.to 20;pei\-ceut.-.-Timber had also to 1m got? I *' jfromtfartlier] back,' ami in most cases' "necessitated railway freight. Timber had- .' ■ also .. to :bo : 'got'further from the raihvayi'S'.--Susndt inill.s;were still jcutling wbero ihi-y\-W ;,y,eve;.'.ten years'.'-ago,-' but; ilio limber ■ ;furtliC:r^baclv';.-froii;^'tho' : '.i!u!l, and' the:»> • ;Uiillsjdi;l:nov]ieee.Jsorily- benefit from; tlio£s : 11i!ier ; pi'ices 11 int;. the mills further back- :i .'irotV'Tho .rise' in 'wages- meant • more than. 1•• per cent. on cost of proline-" : :;tion';^HoyaU'icStbad'doubled in this period /mentioned,';. Audi- accident''- insurance had 'been.liulded."';:, Wages represented about 00 (per. {cent.-; in'. tlio. cost of production, and-'* Hhoiinereiiso in; wages represented an np-'/V sproxinmte increase in.the cost of pro---' :<luction of .10 per cc-nt. The West Coast -Timboi' Company roughly supplied about two-thirds, of ..the total amount exported.',; "Jt' took sixteen men now to do work pre-.:/ vioiisly dono, by -. twelve, but this} :;, ijwas iiftt duo to want of efficiency on the .part of the men. The small milling areas r iiuereased tlio cost of production.' With 'larger -areas millers, would nut in iron "» anils, and locomotives, instead of having - "haulage done .by horses—the dearest--.,- . method of traction. i

-Mr. Frederick G. 11.- Brittain, M.IV stated that at To I'uke, in'the Aorth. Is-. land, ho paid Bd. per 41b. loaf of bread,' •;. while it was (kl. in" Christchurch. Ho at-;l--H tributed tho'diflerenco to cost of ami to monopolv. ; ■ Mr. H.- W. licslop.' (of.: Messrs. H. :•!£*>«•• Bowker and Co., house and land ngent»)j«-'; staled that his experience dated back 'to',-t;' 1887. During tho last toy to fifteen there had been, a marled increase in land values in Christchurch and suburbs.:-. increase was due mostly to increased prns-:;,/;-H perity and. increased population. The riso j?jsy was mostly 'community created. Rating cn£ws# unimproved,value had meant the culting up of. moro .blocks of land, but it did - not have .tho, effect of cheapening prices of'■ sections, H) a mail could always live."s cheaper' in aj routed house, provided ho v|.?£ did not 'want a house the rent of was over 205.,'. than il' ho possessed hi3j own- freehold.- Tho reason was that. itji.-V i was .difficult to- get people'to pay Hum'2ss. per week as rent. Tno largiuv-g/ proportion of houses were let from 2fls;-;.;, downwards. Tho rent of a four-rnomyd|,_:. . iiouso ten years ago was higher 1 luni-tlio same class of" house would bo to-day. difference-.in tho rent of such a houso.' nowadays;toingiwprciientod by addition^. \cenvonieuces demanded. 1 . ' ' Mr. I>. 3. Dclacour, manufacturing -bootmaker, stated that he did, not;knm£ - .w of any combination in' regard. The industry was protected in .a. certain '; sense, but not very much for tiu-euioiiitit manufacturer.'. The cost of productijn'.iiv ■ :i i ; tho Dominion was very much higher nunr. 'U other countries. An l'jngl-isli ;:3. could lo imported for Is. 9d...but;ia.>c«..'--;:, Zealand they would not be :the upper for that price. v-Ss -"•Tho sociX'tarv of tho Coal Qixcl .Fund 'stated that during tho last ;, !eiu : venrs tho. net prico of blankets had. vnTHHI: •.. i*-erv little. I'-Tho number'of perssns-wlio. .■ applied to tho fund had oono up 300 ntCS--tho fund was established, and las* year, totalled 530 or 510. Coal .was gn-jig,..up;iii/■ • prico in Christchurch steadily every, year. .... •The ' ■ fund - ; bought, Australian coil; " Four i . years '■"? ago'<>. cost;. tno. iuudS' 275.: . '.6d. - per V ton?- ... cost St.;. 41 As to bread, at . oi.» „ timo. when peoplo .went to,6hops- : -lor, ; it : -:, : they' got it' for id. tho 4ib. lool.r.ow; it u; wns lid; or GUI. Potatoes at ono . time . r could bo got for ss. (id. per sack, now liiey. .. cost from 12s. to 15s. Moots tor children .. from seven years to twelve years .or a;:o had- increased in .price., A strong boot that once was obtainable at is: 0n..;- n0w...;,, .-.. cost I OA.:, or lis."'Witness concurred, wulr the- opinion of the previous wumr.-s, tl'.a. the increased east 'ofjlivins was cine to a mora extravagant style:, ot living. A f« »: •. .- roomed house that was a', one time rented.... «t 6s. M.. was now .'rented at <s.. or-,,5.-.;x;«-nor week, and it was. shameful tlio way; people had to crowd into small houses. . In nine cases cut of (en applicants sintMl-.:.... that their distress was duo to the mg.t. .' ,o-t ot living. ■ It was shocking the num.. _ l>er"of' young people (under- thiHy 'of a who applied for help. - Very often : there was hardly any furniture 111 iiieir , • houses, Tho time-payment systeM:.of ting furniture was almost.a eur.-e, 1 hero, was ■moro .distress at present than there-: .- .was five.or sis years ago. -■ !> Mrs. A. B. Wilson gave a lisi - weekiy expenses of a family of a man,'., lviie, :• and three children, based on an of- twelve households. It was as follows: . —Kent, 12s. fld.j meat and fish, ss. j brea( ; 2-.; groceries, Ss. 3d. j milk, 25.. .id,; ligntv ;> .,--. iisg and fuel, 3s. tid.; clothing, lGs,; vege-'. . tables, !ls. !Ul.; newspapers, (id.; ••lodge,• and•'insurance, 25.; .total, .£2 9s; | The average income of the wage-earner | iii « household was under «E3 per UiJlr; C. U. Unsor, farmer, of North Cani.terbury, made a statement, in the courso - 'p. I of:-, which lie expressed the opinion' that the" rise in the price of town lands ■increased tho cost of living, rent being first'chargo on wajres. . During tho pa-c. ten years the unimproved value, of tho.;C;v Central Ward of.Christchurch had •iin-v-'ft creased by .£1,287,323, and this had ra:M-d, -. the cost ..of, living and the enst of ; .tribution.'i.vtfrho. (jovernment had intensi-;';"" ■ iiied'tho'-ciVeeiSby bnihlinj; workmen's cofcgifs ?l/»gcslin*cilk%';iustcad of putting .them.on^;-■; jn'Oilucing" asva--: r>