COST OF LIVING

Hokitika Guardian, 13 April 1920, Page 4

COST OF LIVING

COMPARATIVE INCREASES. WELLINGTON, April 9 In the course of a long statement to a “Dominion” reporter” on the cost of living question, Mr Massey said the position in New Zealand undoubtedly called for close watching, but the forces affecting prices were often beyond effective control here, and a control, unless properly exercised, might mean famine in future. The following table showed that New Zealand still held the most favourable position with respect to food prices as compared-with other countries : Table showing the percentage of increases in the cost of living between July, 1914, and the months shown, in the various countries: Per cent. India (Calcutta), Nov., 1919 ... 51 Spain, March, 1919 ... ... 57 Australia, Dec., 1919 ... ... 58 New Zealand, March, 1920 ... 62 South Africa, Nov., 1919 ... 67 United States, Nov., 1919 ... 88 Canada, Nov., 1919 ... 92 Holland ’ (Amsterdam), Nov., 1919 102 Denmark, July, 1919 ... ... 112 United Kingdom, Jan., 1920 ... 136 Switzerland, Sept., 19’9 ... ... 141 France (Paris), Dec., 1919 ... 185 Norway, Nov., 1919 ... ••• 197 Sweden, Dec., 1919 ... 207 Belgium (Brussels), Oct., 1919 ... 246 Italy (Rome), Nov., 1919 ... 246 The increase in New Zealand between July, 1914, and December, 1919, was 55 per cent, which would place the Do minion second on the list at the end of 1919. Mr Massey went on to say that everyone in commerce knew the extreme difficulty - in securing supplies, and at no time in the Dominion’s history was the demand for imported, goods so great and the shelves so bare. The Government would do its duty in facing the position fearlessly, but it had to be careful and just. He would again stress that the Government had given every possible opportunity to the public to have full investigation made into all cases in which they considered that unreasonable profits were being made, and the Government looked to them to exercise their powers in this direction, as without the assistance of the public the full benefit of the legislation recently passed could not he realised.