COST OF LIVING 80 YEARS AGO

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 44, 15 November 1940, Page 5

COST OF LIVING 80 YEARS AGO

Dom'i.XlON SITX'IAI. SERVICE DUNEDIN. November 14. People who are concerned at the high cost of living existing at present may find some eoasylation iu evidence, whicli has just been revealed, that in <me part of Otago al any rate conditions nearly 80 years ago were such th,-it curreut dillieulties pale into insignilieanee beside them. The evidence is provided in an account book tor what was ttpparenlly a general store and bar. operated by Hazle ’.Tonis and Co., which was recently discovered lit Arrowtown. 'The book, which is in an excellent slate of preservation, was brought into the "Otago Daily ’Times’’ olliee. and a perusal of its pages re-ve-tled something of the hardships wlticlt the early settlers of the province had to endure in ISG2 and JSG3. The price for commodities mentioned in Hie book varied from week to week, probably as a result of the varying quantities which it had been possible to Pack into Arrowtowu from Dunedin, but all are on a scale that, would appal the present-day house-wife. The prices a pound for the principal necessaries were Hour 1/1, potatoes 1/0. salt 3/-. lea 5/0. soap 3/-. baeott 3/9, cheese 3. It, onions 4/1). sugar 2/0. butter 4/0. and rice 2/0. Vinegar was u/6 a bottle, kerosene was £l/10/- tt gallon, and boxes of matches were I - eacli, but spirit turns liquor' were a trifle ehea|ier a bollle lltaii they are today, ami on iiiiaii'rotis occasions throughout lite account bool; eitarges for drinks at 1/- e.-teli were recorded.