COST OF LIVING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1486, 8 July 1912, Page 11

COST OF LIVING.

WELLINGTON EVIDENCE. FARMERS' UNION SECRETARY. The following evidence given before tho Cost of Living Commission on Friday was crowded out of Saturday's issue:— Edward Collins Jack, secretary to the New Zealand Farmers' Union, commenced his evidence by stating that he regretted' that tho Commission had not timo to tako more of the valuable evidence which could bo obtained from rural residents Continuing, ho said that conditions for farm labourers had. much improved in the last 20 years, and their wages had increased by 20 per cent, as the following figures would show: Rouseabouts used to get 15s. per week and now they got 20s. and found; boys, 10s. to Ills, (id., and found; shearers, 17s. Gil. and 20s. per hundred and found; harvesters, lOd. to Is. per hour and found; and ploughmen 255. to 30s. per week and found. He had not been able to find any increase in tho cost of living for country workers. The scarcity of farm labour was a serious matter. Ono result Was tho groat reduction in the area under wheat. It was, also, very difficult to get boy labour and domestics. The ratio of wages to production had lessened owing to a greater output of recent years, but tho amount of capital invested had risen in much greater proportion, and the rural industries got less profits in return for capital than they did ten years ago, so that instead of increasing the cost of living the rural industries had had the opposite effect. The Commission had been told that tho remedy for the supposed increased cost of living was to bo found in confiscating in taxation tho value of the increase in unimproved values and relieving taxation 111 other directions. That would no doubt reduce tho valuo of land, but it would as certainly reduce tho rate of wages, for production would rapidly decrease, as the major portion of tlio increased valuo represents tho stored labour of the farmer, and the exhausted improvements which went to keep up the fertility of the laud, and instead of nearly doubling our production in ten years we should reduce it to the old figures and there would be plenty of unemployment. Even now, with all the supposed prosperity of the farmer, the fertility of tlio land showed a backward tendency, and the farmer hod to expend increasingly greater amounts annually in fertilisers without adding one penny to his gross income, and it was quite that with such an increase in taxation he would have less to spend in labour to cultivate his soil.

COMPANY MANAGER. ON PUBLIC FASTIDIOUSNESS. Arthur Leigh Hint, manager of the New Zealand Farmers' Distributing Company, quoted from a table which he hud prepared to .show the fluctuations in prices ot some staple products. In 1800 potatoes Were £1 10s.; in 1901, M 10s. to £6; and at present, .£5 ss. pev ton. In tho interim the price was higher, which was explained by tho fact that in 1905 the New Zealand crops contracted the blight. However, no<v tho price was very little higher than when the blight came to the country, which showed that the farmer had risen to the occasion and had overcome tho difficulties by .spraying, and better methods of growing. There was not much difference in the price cf cheojo now and twelve years ago, and whatever-' increase there was was duo to the increase- on the Home market. Eggs might have increased mora than they had done, as wheat (fowl food) had become scarcer and dearer, and pollard had becomo dearer. The honey on tho market now was much better than what was on the market some years ago, but the people here did not seem to bo honey-outers and the commodity was extremely hard to dispose of. Those who advocated public markets did so in the hopo tint- someone else, n.it themselves, would attend them. It was infradig now to cany fruit or vegetables, or even small parcels, along tho street. Ono of tho reasons for what was called the cost of living was the fastidiousness of the people. ' It was difficult to dispose of farmcured bacon, and dairy butter was handed to tho pastry cook, and so on. It made ono think that the cost; of living did not press 60 heavily upon the people as we were led to believe. It seemed that if anyone would pass on increases, it would be tho landlord. Yet board in the city had not inoreased in prico in the lost ten years, and it lad improved in quality. The same with restaurants. The increase in the cost of living in the last ten years was almost entirely due to tho higher standard of living, Eents were now 20 per cent, cheaper in Wellington than they were five years ago. However, the houses had vastly improved in character—largo and more artistic rooms, and greater conveniences, particularly drainago water supply and lighting. People dressed more expensively, or in better style, than they used to. Ho had not found! any monopoly or trust which was seriously affecting tho price of .living* except perhaps the Union Steam Ship Company which, by its high freight and fare rates, was a very. serious menace to tho iountry. As a smoker, it seemed to trim a, fraudulent thing that the consumers only got. Moz. of tobacco in the sticks which were nominally one pound. The storekeeper was not to blaino for rhat. The system o£ house delivery of ;oods which had become so common of ate years must havo increased tho cost if the goods. He thought cash-over-:ounter customers should get their goods i little cheaper than thoso who Tequircd :heir goods delivered. To reduce the iost of. livin" in New Zealand wo should aim at building up our agricultural iniustries and industries which had been protected should have that orotection removed after a certain number of years. Ho was at a loss to know why wharf labourers wanted lime bags to bo paperlined. Mr. Tregear: Then you want the land nannred with wharf labourers instead of :he limo? Mr, Hunt said that he was not out )f sympathy with tho wharf labourers, jut ho thought that their objection was ridiculous. In reply to questions, Mr. Hunt -said ihat there should bo an ad valorem duty m tobacco. There was an auctioneering *ing in Wellington, but his company was ' lutsido, it. It was really a. recent rise in the rates of commission charged by the-other companies which had brought his company into existence. A municipal market would bo a waste of money m far aa tho consumers wcro concerned. People would never again, get into the jiabit of buying at auction and carry- ' ng their goods home. Tho sales would i be attended by middlemen. Oneof thejnost potent causes for rents being- 20 per cent, ower now than five years ago was that in :he former time suburban lands had been ' looming, and people had been induced ;o put up moro houses than were really warranted.

APOLOGY ACCEPTED. Mr. p. Lori, solicitor, attended, and apologised for the non-attendance o£ Mr. Brooks, of the Dresden Piano Company. Mr. Lovi said that Mr. Brooks was oniy a. branch manager, and felt that if anyone connected with the firm was called it should bo one of the directors. The apology was accepted. AN ARCHITECT. Joshua Charlesworth, architect, Wellington, said that timber Had risen about 5 per cent to 10 per cent, in the last ten .years, and bricks wero at about the same price now as formerly. Somo other materials had gone up in prices. Labour s cost had increased about 5 per cent. Ho had not noticed a falling off in the efheacy of the building trade workers. MASTERTON FARMER. Donald Jolm Cameron, farmer, Masterton, said that he had found that there was no appreciable rise in foodstuffs. i,ou could get a good lunch for Is., and it had never been cheaper than that. It did not seem to cost'him any more to feed his men to-day tlinn it' did some years ago, but the. rise in their wages was about 25 per pent, in tho last seven or eight years. Ho had had a man whom lie was giving ■ 355. psr week, a cottage, milk, butler, and firewood, and Hint man had left because he was asked to load baled hay on a truck. Xow (he witness had a man from England, who was astonished at how much heller Ihc conditions wero here than in England. His employee put his money in (ho bunk, and would nol be long working for witness nr anyone eUe: he would have a farm of his ;*'"■ wl would W a wren*. TU thouphl •om mere .would be ojaenings among the

cow-farmers for boys if tho Government •would ronscnt to their importation from England. HOUSE.FUfINISHER.. Charles AVinsworlh Halse, house furnisher, said Hint if it were not for the'deferred payment; system of buying furniture many people would not be able to get n home together. People said that if (hey tried to save to pay cash for furniture they would .spend tho money in other ways. Tho Commission will resume at 10 o'clock this morning. SATURDAY'S BUSINESS. EVIDENCE IN COMMITTEE. The Commission heard three witnesses on Saturday—C. J. Roakos, State Chief Veterinarian; Thomas B. Goddard, labourer; and Fergus Ferguson Munro, of Westport. Tho evidence of Messrs. Reakes and Munro was heard in committee. Portion of Mr. lioakes's evidence is to bo handed to the press to-day, and Xr. Munro is to make a statement in open Commission. In his ovidenco, Mr. Goddard stated it as Ins opinion that the cost of living had increased decidedly in tho last scoro of years. Tho most marked inoroaso had been in rent. •Tho Commission will Tesurno at 9.45 this morning.