COST OF LIVING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1473, 22 June 1912, Page 8

COST OF LIVING.

AUCKLAND EVIDOCB.

THE DRIFT FROM COUNTRY TO TOWN.

A LADY'S TESTIMONY". (Ky Telcsrapii.—Press AEsecUUtorj Auckland, Ju.iie 2t. Tho Cost of Living Cmniiii'ssion e.oiitinued its sitting-s tP-iJaJ. Major i). H. j...i'is;k. fanner, of i.i.ie Ivih'g Ouintry, said lip had .i.ived o.'ii iiii 'prei-ieuS; farm lor ten yea'riv To- live .properly he contended three ihi)i'g'.s were iniinreil. sufficiency of voiiotooh'i'e. i'oo.d, sticii cliv.hing as was necessary 1 fij keep '.he IVody dry and warm, and' -j. iuy.t-e of suflh s'ixe niiil with such sanitiii:y ; camliiiitins as woutd. supply a healthy' r.e'sHieii.ce.: 3.'£ this :iiutpretation were .c.prreOt tiise'ij. i.i'B. was of opinion that the; cost' of living ;in t:lio country had not. greatly .increases! during tho past twenty years. As far .as ti'.e towns were cpficefned,. the ;co.st: of fco'ti and clothing had iiot, Upoit. ir.ereased, but. tis'e rent (if <'.iive.!)uig.-liouses had increased largely dffi:.ing t'h<j- lafet ten years, the reasii'fi Itpiiig tliii-t it ii.p'w'' cpst nearly double to bui'd a liouso than it. did fifteen or. twVifty y : pa.r.s ago. He unhesitatingly asse.rl.i.d 't.ii.a't' iho £'o-qa!l'p.d and mueh-coiifpjai'iied 'pf iric'rcjijo- in the. cost of living was' a .niy'tln ■. Tire t.Eb'.ii.bip' arose from the higher sty'.c or standard of living, and nnl) bccalisc tiKj cost o{' the necessaries of :li'fpi wvi'S: hi'gh'.Cr, 'The. fact that young men ai'ijl;.'v.'.cinp'n 'were. flp.ckiTig to the cities, tempted % artiiicially-vaiscit wages, which could not possibly be p'a.n! by the farmers.: v,;as greatly to i>e (le.plorcd. These yb.ii.ng.- 'pin'plg dii not, as. a. rule, improvo their condition, bijt: rather the reverse, as .flieir' 'i.h'c'i:Cased. wages did: not meet their i'ncr«isc'd lexpt'iiil.it'ure, 'and they acquired ■bstra.yaga'.ii't habits.

To tho chairman;: There. ii;ul be^n ; a largo increase in the price .of' timber. He. thought this was chiefly, acepuniei! for by the rise in bushtiicii/? Sva'gcs'. 'T.h.erc, lya? a very great di'ierci.ce tiie K'lioiesale and retai 1:. t;rices of frtri.n; procluc.e. "Would this ?eetn to iwint; to the cxistenco of a eombino or a ring?"

"I have suspicions, that there is a- ring, but I cannot say .delhiitely." Continuing, witness stated that; the;; labouring class ill; tlie Yown seldom saved money, but 'tra- tlie''.coiintry cpuld savp mpney;.. ..-There was .any a'm'b.un.t pf wprk fpr, tlie wp'i:kei;..s' available 'in-th-o King Country districts, with better pay and better cor.iUtioiis trittii, .preyai'lcd in town.

To Mr. Veitcii: Ho t'liouglit that if the advantages ob'tiuniiig iii. ;ho country districts were generally known, t here would bo a greater iii; ilie cpiiiytTy. Immigration woul-l Po .J): better means, however.

To Mr. Fa.ii;lia.irii.; Tli.e pusent rate oi wages was haiii'pe.r.ing. set'ieinenf. i:s the country. He .'did riot beliove. that ■ tiie increased wages- would eventually benefit tlio jvorker. '.

To Dr. HigKfe. Slip' co'st b!i TioitSiiig liart probably increased during ti;e Ig.s't; ticcade by' ten per cen!. !n his district ntrni labonrors occ.asio.'tipVly b.o.iiyiit. i'afiiis'' "pf their own.

Mr. Thoniass ifilier,-i)pp..t : ®ri(! $]b(!B ; .re<> tailor, Vietaria>Sh-ept', .gave :ey.i(k-!i'de : : tli.nt' he dealt ;in:Veulor;ial .iind English '; boots and slioesi'' His business. was entirely a cash oi:<v i;iui was largely with the working e-asses. 'J'l'.e i'rei'erential Tratlo Act, IPO-'l, v.'h'iclr added 50 per cent.! duty to Ameriean nr.!l foreign ii'.av.ufactured boots 1 , '.slices, ' :: and,; slipi>ei'si 'increased the c.cs.fe'' :o'f. line's,, had ' a good effect, in drcreasi.!'.? i.iopo.r'« frou.i : these countries,. : ;a.!i'd .inereosing Eriglisli.. imports. The' New Zeaiaiui (.'iistr.tiir' tariit. passed in IPO7 resulted Jii, remarked increaso ill pr.ice ;.oi': 7K';;i;!,y all : imported lines of Loots .and- ;ai.'d ■slippers.'' This increpsoi/was' lii.bst: niai;l;otl.;. :i n(l , : fell; heaviest on l!ioJ't;l;i>s' p? :}>oo.tS a'uti. .filio'es .| worn bv the'jvo.rki.iig- lis.en. ' . . The ehairman:. I- jlie.re : siiy conibine.-. tion among ret«iler<: . . "Some years. .'i-;o.au aften.ipt 'was riiai'o to iix prices, l),iifti&/Uei;er got Ijeyoiid tile .'moot' at l|i:e?ehti iifU association, bii.t- it ;v.:as p.iily )pr tli'e iation of hours and to dial with tile li.aifholiday quesfi'oii;■' . ; Jlr.' l ; ied"i'iek Jlaske.l Kiiig, ■clptliing . niainil'neturei\. quo!- ci iig.u"yeS' shov. in;; flie;.: increase thatvira'l, t;i':cn : .place in. -the ecisp of i:rodi;etio'.i.. : .Mr. l'eter Virtue, manager of the North- 1 orn lioller lliliiiig.'y.pniiia.iij'.,' stiVlbd; ihaj;.. the l'.ourmiliiiig romiiaiiy lie rppyeseiitSl' had never l>ecii:.-'dii;(.'(;tly biiM'isdirti'eiily neetcd with any Vdnibiue or a>-oeiatio-.i, and lie was that wit!h.-tli(i support of tlio. pi'ibiie. 'aii'd ..j'.udieibus/b.iiyr ing of only . fir-t-eiass grain pfdineiiig an . excellent a'riieie,, tiiey ha<l been able to maintain their.'.owih lie cpnsiderPii (he !iour-i:iil!ing :i:uliistry jvas one oi tiie most important'*!:ih- ■■U.!'e: , ..J).oniihi'oii;.:' Pnring his 110 years' experience, said \'irtue, he had never k'liojvn 01 a wlioat 'ring or corne.t : ,ihv the- IJomiiiioli.. J-'pP-eluding, llr. Virtue maintained, thii.t tlia cost of living had not .increased. It was the higher sUndard of living. ' ,■ Mr. Daniel Joseph M'liown, dealer jn farm and <Uii.ry* ! pi;<?dj''ce, : iiiiiil. t'sat during tlio past t'eiv 'years, the. .pricis ■.or dairy. produce had probably gone up IS PO" cent 'l'liis was due to iir.provenient 111 prices realised; lliy Hoiiib and foreign markets. From 7S to ?lt per .ceii!.. m tiie pro ; duce was exported!' dining' tne i'-ush season. ' *' , ' ■' . ..... The chairman;. 1= there anj; ■combination of merchants here to —None whatever,- . ~ . r . ~ There is open eoi:\petitio:i r-1 es, anil verj". keen at 'tlin.t-. -. . Mr. AVilliaiii... 'i'brjiy.th: S.tv.wa-t, secretarv of the Auckland Gas. Company, ■.stated 'that in his opinion the. company was a flourishing'," orac.eriij There was ;keen competition bct.iveoii gas and- electricity. Thu company',':!ia(l. : only ojip i)hff£ ? . find" they inado reductions upon tlio; Uas:s ot ciuantity. ~ ~ . . Mrs. Emily O.ibsoir stated tpat. she represented the' Women's Political League. 11.0-, jo rent had donbUd witliui in yews. A hosiso whi.clv she rente:, lor .?«'« years at XI a weei; is !icw 275. liu. kl'Ht ?o;ir.ngo that hoii'so; was rented' i.o'v.'lfis,'t< > There wero r.oti eiioasli hoiHii- ipi" alii, consciiuently the i-i!'..omir.g tenant had to pav an increase .oae.l; tiiiie,. ..lUi'iio thought thai there was a.pd ns; m Auckland, siuipcriing fci.e ide.a statement that one p.lp.ss Ol'' i.P'al couul be landed here at .1:1 a ton'. Hns was soil! at 3i<. ].';> li, she lieelared. "was ! iay toe dear, "diere w;>s an iigreenieu! that fisiieniitin:.' lii.ii.st iip). go .hs.ii.'.i.ig OS thrv wishetl'-, but in accoriiaiiee ailh tlio (iircctiuns 0! a fishing ring'. 'Bread: was now Id.'a. leal, li.u.t had; it.not been for the action ot the-i 'o-operative it would liave been raised ere now. 'Pie dutv was now off.kevoM:ne, but the price was the same: ■' Potato'."; word lKuv about 2s. oil. for 3011),. .They u.-ed tp: cost. H. jieat had gone' tip. because, or the. rise in butchers' wages I ,■ 'but 'tiie' present price was out of ,'iil proportion !o the increa-o of salarv given. . Two.'yqaV? ~ag'o.. iv ter famine was tinentenci: ill .Auckiaiiil, due to the export of '.tSip greater iiiiiV lie St' jiortioa of ti'o your's supply. The; (r.>vcrnnicnt. declaveii .Mrs. (;ii) : e'i,. •■l'.i.uid s ,.p that thati;sh.p.iilil;'n.ot occur',again.. Mr. Daniel .10-eph 'M.'t lo.wah. i'.; .n:lian! in' farm nr.d (h'.iry iirniiuce arid-Agricul-tural impleiiipiife -fatfd that dairy produce had gone u'ji l.i per .ceii.t, du.- to the rise iu laa'.f values, inernted taxatinu. better deiii'.md ii"«o l i'o,'.e. olid iiicrfas;-. iug population'' of .\';w Zoaiand'.' He li'iii no idea of ha.v ihe incnas-d ea.-f of labour had alfeeted. tiie I'rrb.i.luctipiV'.'bf. but-

tor. Mr. .Tallica 'Jfoo.ro Cavpont<'r. coal ii'iprcli'ant. w'.io bad M'vwi y«iv<' hxpowfjiw'nf bufinos?, v.llirli fcis itoYifiu'sly i.iold by liis father, \vli(<:i if ilu'io a dealers' rinpf* :?SUil' tiverf .SMj-jiii.:iik>i)cia-tion, tlio wernb'.-rs of \y.li.i.elj...';!i.ai(l "s. a year. Tor (hi- ( hey lian a "kie!;iip" at an aiinnai diar.K'. li'.i! (hat. wa? all. There #as"- : no .ccjnibiiiTit.ion to hoop up priees. Pri , ,ee■;■ lyore qiily raised ]ien-, the lniiie-ownerp xai? ls th.cm', ilr. Coles, .boot niftk&i}?hpt,tVrj&r,.. TeWsed (0 bo sworn, as. I've''liiul' ho o.v.i.ii.e.ne.p to pive. ITc staied t hat. lie '.vonld liaye no objection to.' explain lii's roa<oa to tlva chnirmnn in private. . Mr. Unlit. Hone M'All'im, bu.'ilijer. "sras. 111' the opinion thai' the M'n;'icn:aii r.f lii'ilav could not wor'.i I'-irp the :«ea 01' l'<-a nr'filteen yertrS .aifh Tiff r.fnsoil v,;n Hint; there '.v:' 110 t.iio.eiii/iv.ei. 'thei.e Ijelnj 'fsip many job!. Kftee'n yer'.v- sfijo 51. "-'.h !:- er" 'would iia'.v.e lieeiv. ''Sr'e.ii'.'V To-day tliey have Is :|>.ii.''- niv wil'i lVinv,. Wwlcnien droned lfii'e i.ioAvaija.y.-. Thai f'.M miVivey:. .T.a.l'iini? in ilio .c'nn'ii--(rv eo.-l 1-. (ill., 'a': day nitirO.

Mr. f'oi'iiol.i'JiM; Tiiylofc.. 'lyiin :ip Jls. t.o*i?iT mnnih- iisr> Karl W.<?'n hi Wh' .mill; ■!r.nd : e. (lpplor'jrl 'lirt;fa'ri: Mini Die a.r'raji> .ri'iiiiitil v U'-"d li-'ad ill Ai;i'k:wd fei.? 15 j'.intpcr day. Tl,;- v if nm iriorrd .-.-.ifiii. nnrl ynnifthins 'in. >.he : ■■ i.-.'.i'-t.-c-i"es!-s p.f. i o. : b-i : l.fT life, bo iic:ie '.o ailcviato it- ■