COST OF LIVING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1466, 14 June 1912, Page 6

COST OF LIVING.

■ • THE COMMISSION AT CHRISTCHURCH; , : FURTHER EVIDENCE. fflj Tsleeranli.—l'loss isscciMlonl ■ Christchurchj June 1.3; ; , AV'lion the .Co.st' of I'iiy.iiig Coiniiiissioii ; resumed to.-ijay, Mr* ftaipr/:/, solicitor-, ;;p----f pp:u:.o.d, n.ii(i stijio.d that ■Mi',''!/.. Kiiicaid, '. hi'it'Ci. declined to yi.v.i! evidence. Cc.un--1 h-'I. replying to the cnainnan, .-aid Iks was I instructed lint to givetlie reasons ior his I J. clfta'it ueeiiiiiiig .to. jjivc oyide.nce. ■i : " sl " -V- I' appeared, aim Statedl' " Tini?t Mr. -A.;. J); i'.oill. (ic'ciliu.cd 16 gi.vo o'vi> ! : (le'nce,. as his principal was. iwjiig. .pro-' ' : : 'Sepde.d. ■agaius.t under .tiis Commercial ■ Trusts Act. . Jn coursij of cvidenco given by Mr, J). f .' G>. .011 behalf bf t'h s Caiiietbury [.': Trades and Labour Council, witness ;siiit- ■ . <?'d. tii.it as- the result, of "speeding up." in factories, u much, higher .skiiuaj'd Ml" cosa- . fortwji.s ai')>olnU ; ly ffec!es£ai;y; ifs compar- . , pd wit 1,1. the standard of 'ten; tweiv-;/, or t; tsllf;'!! years ago. At, the 'result ofeanij:.:'. ;j)6ti.tipi'v, tli6' development 'of machinery, ■ '''"-d the adoption o£ >uk-Miiic ' managi- • men!, tho tune allowed tiio ivai ker lor .■:| cor'tam. work .'hhs 'bee'ii'..'Qpns.!«n'(iy .reduced, i" : . ami 'flic' ■i oi'ker v:as . vequit;ed : 10 cxjirticl : more energy. On this point lie sp.oktt as 1 one wire, 'Until three liloaitis'ago; was working in a ladory, ar.d lie knew thai, speaking generally, what lie stated was- . 00rreck The- increased 'cost pf ■ /living . ■ pf.cs-.ed more. hea vilv ' 011 the general labourer than 011 the. artisan clas?, the wages' ■, of .the' iirst-iiamed having remained sta- ; tionary. Jl<- was .convinced that n the ;conditions. of life in the country districts ' were improved and better accommodation j provided, there would not" be the. same objepffoh :ont!icpa;'toi tpwiv ;\ypt;kers> to go .into .the country. If 500i)'.fenu ;lajb- ; outers. wer.e brought into tiie .Dominion irom Europe/ tliev would dnlt into tho 1 town before, the end of twelve months 11'n':!ess . fal7^../. ; Jal)nufers. , were brought \unclei;'; the Arbitration Act, or. had tiio t'oiiti;tions of labour, regulated in soiiio way. ; i".. Mr.' Tliori. ;ny.../Sti;ac!ia]i; : .iishinp!igpri. ; : •, slated that lift did noi know of.any ring. aiiiiuigst'lccal. buyers. -'.J . : : ilur'phj;;: :ex-;ecrotaiT;. of the." ■ pa'nt'orJjjiry; .A?" aiid':'!'; 1 As^j , .':i s atinri, ,ady.o-. '■ .' .for' labourers. r ~: ■' .lyiri Cuthbert Chambers, Itical manager r ■'tiio r :^acuuih/-piV-/Cdiii'p'aisy;;\,stat.ocl ; that? '''duriiig;. tlie there, was. a 'i londency I'o.r..thc...pri«' to iiieicauv ."'be. 'kei, and rates 'of freight, were, also an imporiiuit factor. ■j standing providing for t he. reguiatien of ... prices.. I Lis company gave no sp-ecial' ; privileges: to- the Merchants''. Association.' ■■ ; : ,T)ie ; iiiarket' wasr/free.i-aiid opeii.' / 'Tlic- ;. company issued a . ' Uiing' to;, do. with" tlie price :it wlijcli tho. retailer. sold. : ' ?/.~s ~ ■, ■ .Mr. Johannes Carl Andersen, a. ckrlc; gavo evidence re p'ricos and wages 'in'Caii'.kTlniry. j'-'f :■ : ,; Jlr; :Ohai;les .pafferty}. ixiot^/retailer^ stat-j fid that t!ie cost of iivi.nu hnd entisidei'ab!y. increased owing to'imporfation v of /.sliotWy /boots; i; but once tliey got in'o the-\yet.tl;ey were. ■ ■ ;/He .pi/oducod/ : /an, iVnporte^ costing. 12.=. Gil., and retailed at. 155., \vhicii s. after tlireo ',\yteks' wear had practically i// como:',tp i piecc : s.. '/./He^ (.child's shoe (imported),.and stated that, it to be all leather. Instead, it had a com--i'i vfas/h 3id=': ; '.teckedj ; .;yvi tK? : ..cair(lbtianlgiSuch ■■ goods • " : ; ? o!.igJjt.'r"n01.;:to ljoi;imported,. ;tKbyj| /thciii./a ; t!ic torial used. . Witness 'next! prodiit-ed .a/; : ladj's.-shoe, .tnc half ot; thev heel, oi-iv.hich . of;7ct! 1; dljo'ar<lv;! -'JL'he.. \vliolg. z : s ;..rii a.deJ lit hci ' I i!jinibii^werfckno\pi : \iVs,^licing : sbViiiamifac-s: /.. / / wiiilst :/HKe:i:ljottpr!. qiwlity wei'c' branded so as.to. appear' as if they- were . imported. The retailer had to do the' i best ho could, aei-ording to., the".demands iof the public. At otic*.time tl'.erfl'existed ■ a.' ■coinbinatioiil/aiiio 'Cll r i stc li if r cii retailers, but ii d'ell through; i*-. >th. ;B(l\vard Iveniic'dr, socrotar\: of tii'o T? /: 'V /nd.yEi!fcatod;V.!l"lips- ./ against the fanners.- • . . 5,.. ■/'Mi::^ ; .Georg , e ! iCallen(ler; ; ; secfetarV iu-- I 'tho ; . { ; l)omihibn :,forCHio'JNewVZealand; Shipping/;. ; froiii Lon : . : don had inci-enseil, but had 'dcc'.fasf-d somewhaf. to J.ondon. Tlie. ilifTereht eonipanie? generally arranged rates, anuins'st tkemselves. Ha was aware that the .Conl ;tiiUMitah;clas.siH_ca.tion of . gbo(!s, isv;iiiucH.; : lo(voiv<)a/Miall,y..\:onyiuo(l is 'eoin{iarcd : ;with....the;'Ensl!slv':classificatioi!,-i'.im(l-. tliat.» 'Spbfjs. could/' bo.;// ; sent/;'fix:iu// ■■■:/Ne)v/;'Zi/alalid; frbnv/ ;::;England.?j; , . ! This : ■j|./tio'n':pf;:Gfctn"ian-'Sta.tb./^ jr. Mr.. Richard Allen, liourmiller,' stated ? t at. jhe:. "li e 1 jpiigc d : ;7'■ to;;;'tlio:., cwV:./Zc-alii lid?/ ; • .Wour :;Mil!ers'"!Affibnationi;; i:l r!is':;ossbei ' ■:tioiix.atriresf;nt-'.did.';,'iib.ta'fix;; tlit> : vpi - ices ■■ of '■ / jloiir.;^l^milliiig^capaeityijofj.tliei/jDb-s : iiiinion' was ilioi-o'-.thau"'(loriblciits."roqiiii'-e'-; : v : saek^ : ; !Krtd;;of. the ;mills> oiit«i(ie :- tli<>/as c oeiatioii : 17-1 sacks per • hour.; All the last-men- ■'; . :iiiills/.;:'wer'd perhaps ..'not 'in 'opera- . fioii at present,'but 'vrere ready to. enter ■■ into 'competition. . present: tyas: 10d:i:. iici-■;tonv< : th<>; ; total.. jif 0-j : '■ ilucing. cost'being .£lO ISs. 2d.- per ton, . 11 : ': :'aD'd : - it;SVa's, lpossible;7lhat:; : t ho;, p'rico'fidc'ally nsight go up to R.'Gd.-. It was.all a gam-. | ble WluUt 20s pei ton «ut\ wis i charged 011 ilour. imported from Australia, ■ tho ;duf.y charge, on Xcw Zealand flotir imported into Austrtilia ..was . •£-. 10<. ! ,. which ivas an unfair..-.tat!''ol' things.. The. ::liim&fipni;bf ;: ; objects tif the association; Thcro were-. '. occasions,■'. a;i.'durin:; a... drought, -wlsen.' iNowj. Zealaßdl./.couVd. I .' traliii, and.he luid done so\nnd get .SS.os. per ton, an price.'. Tlie price ■:ofi. :Xe3y;:;Zealarid ,^Hi,cat: 'v.:as. , . , .gbynriie(l tho demand in .Xe.w.Zealand, iind by the rate of freight to Kngian'd. If the'duty were renioybd tho ..\ew .Zealand, farmer ■! could not compete with Aiistralian whe:tt;.i at 3s. fid. por iKLsheK It : was. profitable to grow, wheat in Xew .Zealand. ; ' . : ;;V ■' ; .Mr;;To]in HfT : fy nbwe!r,''(lii^ ; : the instruct lon /it iii''esbht"'i gi.veh at tiie college. Tho commission then adjourned. The followinr is #ome 01" the. evidc-nrc.; .given, at previous sittii;gs;in- Christclntreli; : i ill addition to that 'aiready /published':^;; , Mr.. William Gass. (timber 'moKhant), ! siateff. .that/id/n'ing/tliep'ast/twc'Dt.y.yeni/s th<> cost of tim!:ei;.. had: increased. He i did not know 01'. any eombinatioh t i>a*..; . tended to keep up tho prico -oi timber. . beyond a ,payiri£ price. An. association :■ oi' timber liierch'ants cxisted; : but: seier.il | merchan;s did not-.belong to it. "He him- j self 'was. a member of association, i Tlio members eamo to. au. .understanding as fo the' seliilig rate of timl>er, which were settled , ainongst thenisc]vei, ' but ;■ 1 there was nothing binding on the ineiii-■.... l>ers. . Hp, did hot think there was a • ppSoililc 'ch:-.r ; pi' the l associatiort/ iflxing .. . highly-praiitable rates, btcjr.se it was so i easy to start a timber yard. Ii the merchants wished to unduly increase priccs tIR'V could not .do if. . 1 . 5ir.. : ,E; W'.. W-al.lei'v. timber nicrtlian'f, j stated, iftiat h.i : s..:"fu;jii /belonged. ,t(i .tlie. asr saciatidii, which .benefiied tiie p'.ibVic Jiv fixing a .sfauifard. phice "for t ijii beiv. /. years ago the timber supplied ior tji'O. : cottages (four and live rrkiiii.s).,. t.pfai.io.d ,tl(;f. .'lfor' :(!ie' sanfe. buildings the linib- r ; . now would cost Coi'ipared wil.li . ■ten. .years .ago, .tlie^■price. .<if 'tii'nbei/. J. 0.1)-,. ■.at ■shipping, port li'ad; ;ii.ip.t;eiisbi|; : |5 pel'/;< cent. f.v'Mjjiit 3'fo.nv yj.- ceiif ;. ; yai'i-; : .ttg« and ■ w'iiaiftigq.. t .per '/.eeiit:..,. c.;.ir ; !age .; (appnixit'.ia'.ely) 20 per cent., and iebo'.ir iroin 12! to 1"> per '