COST OF LIVING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1490, 12 July 1912, Page 2

COST OF LIVING.

LAST DAY HERE.

DR. FRENGLEY t ON THE PUBLIC

AND HUMBUG.

DO THE PUBLIC LOVE IT?

The Cost of Living Commission concluded its sittings yesterday. Air. 1!. Tregear presided duriiig the day's proceedings; ■ : ■ • > The Rev. John Dawson, general secretary of the New Zealand Alliance, staved tuac ho wished to empnasitc Die met that a great deal of money was spent in liquor, and that that was regarued by tho Alliance as wasted, and worse than wasted. The drink Dill for IUII showed that at gallon rates 'JXl,BSiysil had been spent in liquor. The.prisons cost i'44,JSI2, oi which they debited•*32 ) UUl) (76 per cent.) to drink. ' . ■.-'.•!■ The Rev. W. J. Comrie, chairman of the executive of the .New Zealand 'Alliance, said that the liquor traffic was one of the serious causes oi tho high cost of living.

FISH IN THE SEA. George Allport, Secretary of the.Marino Department, said that tho making a close season .for tome kinds of fish was sometimes advisable, as experience had proved, but he did not think that it would make a great deal of difference with the fish which went away do the deep water at certain seasons. A close season for mullet had proved beneficial, and the only ; other fish regarding which the step, had; been taken-was oyster. Some years'ago the Department had tested all the New Zealand fishing grounds, and had published a chart, which had been of considernblo valuo to tho ' fishermen, as they now knew vvhero to go for the best grounds. Tho Department bad done its best to get tho principal municipalities in New Zealand to establish fish' markets, because the Department believed that that would result in all-round benefits. There was little chance' of the price of blue cod falling while the Australian .demand for Uiem lasted. All our best blue cod were frozen, and sent to Australia. In 1909, 12,083 cwt. of fish, mostly blue cod,, were thus exported to Australia; in'l9lo, 8893 cwt.; and in 1011, 13,313 cwt. Fish hud been found lying about beaches, and the reason seemed to be that the fishermen either would not, ■or could not, sell this fish. There was provision in the Fisheries Act rendering liable to a fine of .£lO anyone who destroyed fresh fish fit for consumption, but it was' a very difficult thing to get a conviction, and the' practice still went on in some places. His opinion of frozen fish was that it was not quite so good as fresh nsh, but, shll, was good food. Portions of tho Wellington Harbour were permanently "closed," because there was reason to believe that the northern portion was the-flounder-breeding ground.

i SOME,THEORIES. Walter Thomas Mills was called He said that ho appeared before the Commission to express some, views, on the economic principles effecting the cost of living. He held that in a real competitive market the selling'price could not go very far above the prico of production. Unly private monopoly could raise- the price much above the cost of production. Another thing)which might be reckoned with a high cost of production was ini-pH-tect equipment, notwithstanding that tins was_ tho age of machinery. Touching on tho cost of the delivery of commodities, he said that Hie dearest system Of delivery would be for every family to would be to properly organise house-to-house delivery. The most pitiful thing i n the life of pew Zealand was the Erge proportion of her native-born, sons tfio n«re unskilled workers. The greatest

'. '.- ■-.'■•■ "PRICE OF MEAT,;;:'■! Erie Hampton, master butcher, trading at Palmerston North,, stated that there AsLlf? am n°? g members of the Meat Association. There was an agreement among them and the security was a promissory.note for *20 payable on demand. 11 a membra- of the association sold meat below tariff prices fixed ho would beffii'i ? fOr i the am °o u . nt of his bond, did not see how supplies of dead'ineat oould ; be cut .off from-an offender, or how any other penalty snch as a boycott could be nnposetf He attributed increases in Nn?tf «* 1 the bUtcla ? rs J n Palm «ston Worth except one were in the association, n.?ffc « s °" c V a s P ractica «y in accord will nf S as , Soo ! ahol V In any case, he sold at tho tariff rates; it, would be impossible, in-fact, to sell at lower rates io Mr. Macdonald: He did not know that. nieat ro .included in the schedule of. the Commercial' Trusts Act, and the asfiocahon had not taken advice as to the legality or otherwise of tho agreement.

DR. FRENGLEY, Joseph Patrick Fremjley, qualified medicil practitioner, and medical secretary-of the Department of Hospitals and .'Sitable, Aid, made a statement to thocomniiMion as ro the .effect which tho Sale Of Food and Drugs Act had on the cost t i Vl i nf i' iI e 111 ! ,101111,1 ). however, that hi had had too short notice (three days) \ T f a l ly Co, i n P lcte etotemiat lfegulations had been drawn up by the Department, and they were now i 7 ho hands of the-Crown law officers. ..Later they-would go before Cabinet, for an! [.•roval or modification, but at present thev were not in force. .The effect of gulations would probably be that the consumer would be Wefited in that he would fcodltufft IY ' hcn ho P urcll^d The consumer would, therefore, get the advantage now obtained by the unsSrupu]. 6us mannfacturer who, adulterated P I L tmmodUte ndedto ra,Se the P" M of Ihe Department had not met with The fines for' adulteration in the waVHttFe rO n T'i tio ?- In 'l ,is °P'*i™& must bo purchased on n, butter-fat basis. Another factor in increasin" the ctv* o f living was- nn intense desire o"i th? P nrt of the public for humbug. The mSj}were willing to pay-something ! <lea" vf or the priyileee of being humbugged Hβ md been told hat a coftain jam ,n"lo Hi Now Zealand of New Zealand fruit higher relativo price tocauso the hbet rut t l T m \l h H , the J a,nl "«" »m« thing to do with Hobnrt. lie gave an unable to sell a pure malt vine-oi- ™" ing td he preference of his olntomeA for an adulterated vinegar. So .also n toinilo sauce-coloured a bright red-would «eli mow readi y than « saupe without Coloiiriiij; imlflpr.

Ed that he wished to make an explanation with reference to a statement made to the commission on tlio previous 'day, to the effect that his linn stopped supplies to a certain grocer because he was selling at 100 low rates. It had been reported to him that Mr. Varcoe was selling tariff lines below the tariff rate.?. Witness issued instructions to his storemnn not to supply llr. Varcoe until witness had had an opportunity of discussing the matter with him (Mr. Varcoe). They had nn interview., and Mr. Vareoo then said that it was none of the firm's business' what prices he sold goods at. Mr. Vareoo added that ho would close his account with the firm, and he did so forthwith. Witness took no further action. Edward Bull, candle manufacturer, gave evidence in reply to a statement made at tho commission by another candle manufacturer, Mr. Manton. Witness had stated previously that tho drop in the price of candles was brought about by the lower cost, of paraffin wax. .Mr. Manton had disputed tho accuracy of this, saying that,tho drop in the price of wax in "the period under review was only id. per pound. . In point of fact. Mr. Bull said, raic drop in the price of paraffin in the time had been 3d. This concluded tho evidence, and tho commission went into committee.