Thoughts For The Times

Hokitika Guardian, 10 June 1920, Page 2

Thoughts For The Times

Cause and Effect.

A visitor to an industrial town like Sheffield ten years ago says ail English paper, would have found the streets thronged • wth a working population clad in shawls ,clogs, mufflers and caps, articles of clothing which on an average were probably renewed once, in four or five years. The visitor to Sheffield at this moment would discovek a working population in fashionable millinery, high-liecled shoes, imitation silk stockings, Homburg hats and collars and ties, articles of clothing which all need renewing every few weeks or months. To say that the cost of living of these people has increased is surely not the way to put the fact. The truth is, that the standard of living has been im-

mensely raised; we assume for the moment that gawdy millinery and silk stockings represent a higher standard than a, woollen shawl and damp-proof clogs. Exactly the same argument can be appied to food; the money cost of food has, of course, increased, but that increase in insignificant by comparison with the new ideas to which we have become accustomed as ■to the need of fppd,