THE COST OF LIVING

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2152, 19 May 1914, Page 6

THE COST OF LIVING

,0R COST OF COMFOHT? THIRTY YEARS AGO AND NOW INTERESTING DISCUSSION.' The cost of living in Wellington as against other cities <>f the Dominion was discussed at the meeting of the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday. Tho topic was raised by a letter forwarded by Mr, Len. M'Kensric, urging tlie Chamber to combat the statement, frequently made, that living was more expensive in Wellingtaii than in any other city. Tho letter was read in oommittefe.

Mr. C. M. Luke (the president) said that tho question of tho increasing cost of jiving was ono of the greatest and one of the most complex questions that eould possibly be considered by the Chamber, It* involved so many difficult economic problems that it could not bfi hastily considered at one meeting. He knew that for very many years Wellington had had the unenviable distinction of having the hiuliest rents of all New Zealand cities. This applied to business sites, warehouse sites, and dwoMinghotiso. sites', but as tho Question was usually raised mostly as regarding dwellings for jioople of the working class, he pro* posed to deal with it mainly from that point of view. In recent months lus Had ma-do some comparisons, and his observations had led him to the conclusion that rents were not now higher in WeHhigton than in other cities. Perhaps rents were a trifle higltef in Wellington within a radius of a mile from the. centre of the town, b«t beyond-that radius there was Jittle or no different. What wore the conditions opcratinc; to cause rfrlite to rise, ns they certain!} , had risen, not only in the cities, but in tho smaller towns? In his opinion, the chief factor in the high rents was not tho high price of land, although land was soiling at a price by pooto considered to !>6 high, but tho vastly increased cost, of modern building, ' He could remember- a time in this city 30 or 40 ywirs ago when a very decent house could be built for £300,. on a basis of £50 a room. New it was imnossiblc to get a fairly finished house built for less "than £lf!0 a, room, but tie finish and conveniences in an average bouse now were incomparably better than in the average house of the ported to which ho had referred. He remembered when there were no sanitary conveniences, no water services, -wd Bβ bathrooms in most hmi-ses, and also the houses were built subject to w> Tostric live by-laws, now ateohitelv necessary to preserve tho public, health, llvese ■changes in a measure accounted for the '" increased cost of Ire'lduig. Bnt thirty years ago timber was fleliwml in Wellington at from 7r. 6(1. to 9s. 64. a- hundred feet; u6w the price wax from 265. to 28s ; n hundred feft. Also, as a result of tho activity' of labour -unions, wages had increased, ami increased wages 'for o-im section of workers must senior or later mean increased: xeatjps for ail. So it was that n-orVers in thft imiMing trade wore now roccivina nnwii higher wages thin. Wfir° tho rule'3o ypars α-go. In the city of Wollihfion a furthw item in cist to bp coris'id-'ro:! wns the expense of escnr&'tion, before a house could be erected on main , sections. As regards tho cost, of foodstuffs, the price of tea and sugar and dried fruits Wfts considerably lower nmv thftn some years ago. Other commodities seerosd to him t-o bo soiling at about the same prioe with the ■ exception pi meat And butter, which were' cortreiinly (icin-er. He suggested/in conclusion, that if the Chamber wore to talto up the question * it should set out U deal thoroughly with it,-ami that tl«s test procedure might b<3 to set up a committee

Mr. d. WifKfor said that no hoassß were hoina; built in tho -eity for rent, and iM speculatijo building wn.s goin" f>n. Tlip population ,ivns increasing ail tho while, imd rents iror-b bound to rise. Mr. J. W. Broclip that titc iont wolikm would hn solved for maijy familins if the City Cowscil wotilcl make it possible for tlitfm to ro into tlw suburbs. This, I»c thoiisht,. tho council cmiki do hv offwing. family concession tictets on tht» trams.

Mr. A. Lciph Hunt stW Mv, tiiTjo was riphfc in his contention that in eomparimi the east of living now with thai of W: or 30 vears ago it vns nec.ps* sary rlso to take account of tlio improved standard of comfort. Certain!? tilt* stnnr'arti of ernufort had fnipMiv-ed, and people oiigl)*: not Iβ complain ahaui having to pny for the added comfort. One fen.soi! lio urgecl as an important onc> in i«ai;ing tho jwieo of commodities hieli was tlsp aniffliiit of -wcistofiil s;r\'inos rtTinirorl by the ptiUHc. Goods Imd Ml to 1>« deliverwl, aiiA of course, file cost of delivery had to bf aAfoA. AViMi wjXit-rfl to tho cost of foof , - stuffs, he voulci lik<» swiioono wl)n Ili/I }h'p<i ht ti'*> eitv for 30 yp«"9 to tell him whether it w-as ov-cr nfwsihb t« get a better FljilliHi? meal hi WoHiflgton' tliali co\lid lie gbt now.

JjfemWs: "No," niul "Hot, bnai , ." TiU. Hunt. S.IIM tin's sr-efwd to liira la settle Hie question of whether foodstuffs had incroispd in mb n . Rente must always be high in Wi-tiittctbtt, heeastso of •tlie scaroit.t of fiat laml. To tweottraire neople to go into the suburbs he t-lwiwbt ilie b?sfc proposal p«it forward yet Was il>"t of the mm-Msnl tram faro. Jt Avps in tlie end dookM that Mr. TiwkOj Mr. npn'lio, ami tli<» sncwrt.irv draw a)? a ro-pVy to Mr. M'Keisfo's letter,