COST OF LIVING.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1921, Page 4

COST OF LIVING.

A BIG DROP. I

[by TKi.EGiiArir—l>nn muss association] j CHRISTCHURCH, Nov 18. \ decrease in tlie cost of living for the current six monthly statistical period is announced by the Arbitration Court. The drop is estimated by the Arbitration Court as being from 7s to 9s per week for the typical wngo earner with a wife and two children. The estimate was announced to-day by Mr Justice Fraser, in the course of the breezing Workers’ Dispute, while Mr McCombs, M.C., wag giving evidence for the workers upon the cost of living.

His Honour said that tho Court was not issuing any definite pronouncement at present regarding the stabilisation of wages, but the Court hoped to do so in January, after it had asked a number of further questions about the prices of certain commodities. The inquiry, he said, was difficult, because the prices of many lines have varied greatly in different towns, and at different times; but tlie estimate was that a drop had taken place that was equal to between 7s and !>s per week over the period. RENT. The Court, he said, had taken tho cost of rent only at tho Government Statistician’s figures. CLOTHING.

His Honour added that the Statistician, of course, was not responsible for the clothing figures. He had merely supplied the Court with the data upon which it had based its own calculations. If the Court had under-estimat-ed the drop in clothing six months ago, the agri-gate drop might now Is’ tho full 10s. in which case the Court’s stabilisation basis would prove fairly correct. The drop would certainly be at least 7s. The exact authenticated average of the drop shown in the figures supplied by the clothing and drapery firms was ,10 per cent. If this were taken for the purposes of calculation the aggregate drop would ho 9s per week. However, lie still thought that the clothing average estimated six months ago was rather high. The Court in placing it at Is had assumed that there had been no variation in the prices for tho precceding six months, whereas there had been many bargain sales RUTTER.

The recent drop in the price of butter. said Mr Fraser, had helped to bring matters out in aeeoiilanee with the Court’s expectations. If buttci had not. fallen, the stabilisation estimate. he thought, would not. have proved eorree.t. "I think, oil the whole.” be conclud'd. ‘That things have worked out very •nirlv. In mi earlier discussion. His * ’eiiour pointed oel M”d •• I■ ■ t l .ing "as li,. newt difficult l.n l.n ‘>th "hu ll tlm Court bail t.< ihal in mating 'ls eI limit' s. The returns sent hi by the til ms uere indefinite, and amusingly .implicated. The qiie.-itiun of sale prices entered largely into the inquiry, mil the Court did not know much about them.