INCREASES IN FOOD PRICES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 39, 9 November 1917, Page 6

INCREASES IN FOOD PRICES

AT DIFFERENT CENTRES

PALMERSTON NORTH HEADS THE LIST

WELLINGTON WELL UP

The latest abstract of statistics just published under the authority of the Govornnient Statistician gives an in. teresting comparison of the percentage of increases in the prices of essential foodstuffs which have taken place in the various centres (metropolitan and provincial) since the outbreak of war, as assessed in September of the years 1915, 1916, and 1917. For this purpose the three chiof lines of food (vegetables are omitted) are included under three groups, viz., groceries, dairy produce, and meat. To illustrate how the increases have told on the cost of living in 'Wellington as compared with the othor three metropolitan centres we quote the percentages for each place:— ■ __ GROCERIES. | 1915. 1016. 1917. Wellington • 16.91 23.81 35.01 Auckland 17.18 20.C8 27.97 Christchurch 10.90. 13.86. 22.94 Dunedin 15.58 16.07 23.18 DAIRY- PRODUCE. ' 1915. 1916. 1917. Wellington 4.82 14.10 21.41 Auckland 9-13 28.37 32.54 Christchurch 5.27 25.98 22.07 Dunedin 3.81 19.16 26.51 MEAT. 1915. 1916. 1917. Wellington 14.01 17.25 32.84 Auckland 5.09 12.88 17.49 Christchurch 17.20 24.02" 41.59 Dunedin 9.47 24.43 36.65 THREE GROUPS TAKEN TOGETHER. .1915. 1916. 1917. Wellington 10.53 19.11 30.81 Auckland 10.83 19.27 24.86 Christchurch 11.82 20.11 29.27 Dunedin 10.75 19.67 28.69 The above figures show that the percentage of increado in the price of the lines quoted is greater in Wellington than any. other centre, a good deal greater, for instance, than Auckland, but only slightly more, than Christchurch and Dunedin. The chances are, however, that had vegetables—which are an essential food—been included the increase in Wellington's percentage would have been still greater. Auckland scored over Wellington in the very slight increase in groceries (3 per cent.") in 1916, as compared with 7 per cent, in Wellington. On the other hand, Auckland increases in dairy produce in the same term leapt a long way ahead of. Wellington's, and maintained an easy lead during the last year under review. The centre in which the biggeßt increase in the price o! dairy produce has occurred is Palmerston 'North. Up to September, 1915, the price rose by 7.41 per cent., but in the next year it _ jumped to 29.30 per cent., and in September last the inorease registered was 40 41 per cent., the highest in the Dominion. The town that registered the lowest increase in the price of dairy produce during the three years was Nelson, with an increase of only 12.96 per cent. In meat, too, Palmerston North hit the high spot with an increase of 58.33 per cent, for the three years. A curious comparison is afforded by the comparison of the 1914-15 rise in meat between Auckland and Palmerston North. Whilst in the former city the price only advanced 5.09 per cent., in the latter town the price bounced up by 50.86 per cent. It is the meat prices that single out Palmerston North as the place which has registered the greatest inorease in the price of the food lines under review. Blenheim (with a total increase for the three groups of 19.40), and Nelson (19.97) are at the other end of the list.