COST OF LIVING

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2877, 15 September 1916, Page 6

COST OF LIVING

REGULATIONS BEING FRAMED

WHERE WELLINGTON

STANDS

Tho Mayor (Mr. J. I'. Luke) is in receipt of a communication from the Hon. G. 'W. Russell stating that as the regulations governing the Cost of Living Act of 1915 aro about to be made, he was writing the borough councils of the Dominion informing them that the Government was prepared to receive applications and suggestions in respect to the same, in accordance with powers contained in the Act, and inviting them to state specilicially the particular powers the council dooms should be incorporated in the regular tions.

The section of the Act referred to. concerns tho principal industries a local body would be likely o enter into that has a direct bearing on the cost of living.

Concorning Wellington, Mr. Luke said that with regard to Sub-clause A, which dealt with milk, a committee of tho council had the matter well in hand, and the public was familiar with what was being done. As to Sub-clause B, concerning cold storage, the Mayor said that when they had an up-to-dato market for the sale of fish, they would need a refrigerating chamber that would serve for the cold storage of fish as well as other perishable products. Sub-clause C, referring to trawlers, would be considered when Councillor Jas. Godber's report came up for discussion. Municipal bakeries (D) was a. more remote contingency. The council has bj" a vote expressed itself in favour of a municipal bakery, but up to tho present time the conditions regarding finance wero not sufficiently attractive to warrant tho prosecution t>f such an enterprise ;< moreover, thero was anothor obstacle presented in the difficulty of getting- the necessary, material, and further the staff of the City Enginoor had been so - curtailed owing to losses by enlistment, that it was not possible to proceed with many works so fast as might be desired or as would be the case were tho conditions normal.

Sub-olauso E concerned brickmaking. On. this head the Mayor,said there was no stir in public feeling in the direction of municipal brickmaking. Ho believed that the council should develop a policy of establishing one enterprise at a time, such as the fish industry, and make it n success finan--cially and every other way before taking on any other enterprise.