HIGH COST OF LIVING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 205, 25 May 1920, Page 8

HIGH COST OF LIVING

WOMEN TAKJNG ACTION

At last night's annual meeting of the Women's National Council, the cost of living question occupied a great deal of the attention of those present.

Miss Coad presided, and in bringing forward this subject said that sho had noticed that the tendency among New Zealand.women was to concentrate upon drapery.' Sho had read that in Auckland the women were banning crepe da chine, ninon, and georgette garments, expensive boots, hats above a certain price, and costly clothing in general. She was of tho opinioa that women ought to concentrate ifpon necessities.-' They could refrain from luxuries, but they could not refrain from liocessities. It was in respect to the latter that they wanted to bring pressure to bear, and she thought if they pushed hard enough, they .could mako tho Government move in/the matter. ,A great deal of our food was produced in this country, and what it seemed to her they ought to do was to bring down the price of butter, meat, fish, -and New Zealand woollen goods. So far' as luxuries were concerned there were many women who did not buy them, and who 1 did not intend to buy them. Sho considered that the Government would be doing a very wise thing, and perhaps a very plucky thing, in prohibiting tho importation of luxuries. The women who were hardest hit were the wives of the salaried men. They had t6 bring up a family, feed and clothe fiiem on an income that did 'not stretch with the rising cost of living. Another tendency shown by women here was; to attack the retail sli ods and leave alone their big brothers, the merchants, wholesale firms, and trading companies.' She was of tho opinion that if they were dealt with something would be done to bring down prices. A letter that had been rocoived last session from the Prime Minister in regard to the rising cost 'of necessities, particularly in regard to meat, was read, in the course of which he .assured tho council that the price of meat in this country was lower than in any part of the world, with tho exception of Queensland. This statement, however, in the face of present prices, was not regarded as consoling by tho meeting. Soino interesting figure's in regard to ,the prices of various commodities charged in 1914, and what was charged for them in 1918, were read by Miss Coad. In seeking tjho causeß for the increased cost of living various facts were mentioned,' such as the inflation of the currency, shortage of labour, increased wages, lessened production, etc. . One reason, however, advanced by Mrs. Corliss was the increased avarice of the world in general. Where in pre-war days a profit of 15 .per cent, was considered a fair and reasonable profit, people now were hardly content with 100 per cent.,' or even 500 per cent., profit. Sho considered that one potent ennse of the increased cost of living was this terrible fever of greed.

A representative of the Shop Assistants' Union said that she did not think that increased wages was a hip: factor in the increased cost of living. It had hem steadilv mounting up long before wipes were higher in the earlier days of the war. As for the Board of Trade, she considered that it was merely wasting its time, as there were so many ways in which firms could and did avoid coming to issue with it. She considered the council should concentrate its energies upon the wholesale firms and trading companies, not tho retailers. _ In discussing a plan of campaign it was, decided to follow out Sties Coad's proposal that every member of the council should, on a fixed date early in the coming session, send to tho member of Parliament for her district a post-card drawing his attention to the rising cast of living, and stating that she expected him to take' action in the matter. It ;vas further decided that the Women's National Council should concentrate' upon tho reduction of food prices aii(] of New Zealand woollen goods, and further that they should induce as many women as possible to attend the meeting called by the Returned Soldiers' Association in conjunction with the Women's National Council, to discuss a campaign for bringing down tho prices of necessities. Another meeting will be held shortly at which interesting facts will he muds known about the distribution of fish, fruit, and s vegetables, and the causes that in so many cases were accountable for their high prices-