THE COST OF LIVING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1480, 1 July 1912, Page 3

THE COST OF LIVING.

COMMISSION'S WORK. .THEY OPEN HERE TO-MORROW. (By Tclcgrapli.-Press Association.) Auckland, June 2!). The Cost of Living Commission resumed (his morning. Mr. Geo..Davis, secretary of the Drivers' Union, stated that tho rate of wages for drivers was:—One horse, ,£2 -Is.; two horses, £2 Bs.; and three horses, ±2 10?. Tho men experienced considerable, difficulty in living on these wages. There had bseii practically no increase, in the price of wages since 1902, as'far ns drivers were concerned. It had been stated there had beon a "flowing down," but that was not so.. It was possible that there was not the tame amount of work done, but that was due to other reasons. Mr. William Frederick Bines, coal dealer und general carrier, said that he had belonged to the association. Prices were always fixed'by the association for retailers, and, if any member sold below these prices, his supplies wore stop[>cd. Mr. Albert Crumb, manager of the Nsw Zealand Brick and Tile Company, said that a few years ago tho price of bricks wns 455. per 1000. To-day it was 4Gs. Cd., after allowing for discounts and commissions. Tho public paid Ms., less 2s. Gd. Tho brickmaking establishments agreed among themselves as to the price at which bricks were to be sold. Jlr. Bell, manager of the Union Soap nnd Candle Company, attended, and swore that Hall and Company were merchants who had wanted h> enter into j a two years' contract with his Company I for a eupply of candles,. notwithstanding the denial that had been made on the previous day. On tho suggestion, of the chairman, witness undertook 1 to draw up a signed affidavit to this effect. JIi 1 . W: B. Leyland, manager of the Leyland, O'Brien Timber Company, stated that, at the company's Customs Street in 111, 7C men. and boys in l!!0l> were receiving weekly iu wages amounting- to .£l3B 12s'. Gd., as against .mi 15s. 'in 1912. This was an increase- of 41 per cent. Out of f>o men, mill and yard hands, now at work in the mill, 21 were lecoiving more than the award wages, or, say, 40 per cent. Touching on the question of tho cost of production and the. retail price, witness stated that tho royalties en kauri had quadrupled. Ten years ago bush wages were 3.">s. to -las. per week and found, while <i.( present they were 575. Cd. to 70s. and fouini. Mr. Adam Nixon,' engineer for tho Uevonport SI earn Ferry Company, gave evidence regarding the fishing industry. Hβ stated that the price of fish had advanced 100 per cent. • ,',, This concluded the evidence, and the chairman (Mr. E. Tregear) announced that the commission would continue its investigations iu ■Wellington at 11 a.m. on Tuesday next.