COST OF LIVING IN WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 150, 21 March 1939, Page 11

COST OF LIVING IN WELLINGTON

Contention Of Advocate For Employees LESS THAN £5 A WEEK FELT INSUFFICIENT The contention that it was difficult in Wellington to live at a reasonable standard on less than £5 a week, was made by Mr. P. M. Butler, advocate for the workers in the builders’ and general labourers’ dispute, in the Court of Arbitration, yesterday, when seeking an increase in wages to compensate the workers for the increase in the cost of living. Weekly wages sought by Mr. Butler were £5 for unskilled workers. £5/10/for semi-skilled, and £6 for skilled. “We respectfully ask the Court if it can imagine anyone living at a reasonable standard on less than £5 a week." said Mr. Butler. “The average rent today is £2 weekly, and this for very poor quarters. If a man is fortunate to be purchasing his home, it may cost more. Food costs are going up. Coal has been increased three times since 1936. and it is now 3/10 a cwt. Because of the increasing congregation of the population in the urban centres, folk are every clay being forced further and further into the suburbs, with the consequent added cost of transport. “School books, medicine, dental attention. meat, clothing, and all other necessities of life have soared in price since 1937, and without emphasizing the matter at length, we say emphatically that £5 a week is an almost useless wage. ■ Government Inquiry. In February. 1937. the Government Statistician, at the request of the Government. caused an inquiry to be made into actual living costs in Wellington city, said Mr. Butiev. This inquiry was based on the analysis of family requirements contained in the report of a Cost of Living Commission in Australia in 1920.

“While we entirely disagree with some of the allowances made for some of the items, we put in these figures as an indication to the Court just exactly what the cost of living is at the present time. It will be noted that the figures which we submit were brought out two years ago. Since then, the cost of all groups in the cost of living index has increased.”

The following table quoted by Mr. Butler covered the cost of living in Wellington of a family consisting of a man. wife, boy (10} years), girl (seven years), and boy (3} years) :—

“It will be noted that in February, 1937- tlie barest necessities of life cost, for a man, wife, and three children, £5/2/9},” said Mr. Butler. An allowance of £l/6/3} was made for house rent, yet the average house rent in Wellington today is about £2 for a family of this description. “The Court will, therefore, realize that in asking for a base of £5, we have not made an extravagant claim, and that our statement is entirely justified.”

1936. 1937. Group. January. February. £ e. d : . £ s. d. Food .......... 1 io ni 1 14 61 Housing 1 5 9’ 1 Clothing’ (including footwear) . 17 9} 19 41 Fuel and lightinc 3 10 3 10 Miscel. items 14 4 14 101 Employment promotion levy and tax 3 7} 3 101 Tl. weekly cost .. 4 15 31 5 2 91