CORRESPONDENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 May 1925, Page 1

CORRESPONDENCE.

—— MIS I I: \I>I \i i COST Ob' Id V INC bTCCRFS. (T.. the Kali tor). Sir I 'ii.b r the heading: “('"'i "I Riving" the newspapers from time I" time publish figures i lint I‘elor only to one third of the eo-t o! living budget, and as a consequence the impression created is most misleading.

We were recently told that the ilterease in food prices over July. lfßl. was 10.5 ]>C|- lent. We were also told tloil there have lieen iuereases and decreases in other items, but the newspapers for the nect pari tailed to publish the increase in the full com, of living as shown on page : ',ti ot the Abstract of Statistics which has just been issued. According to the ’ ••>- vernmenl Statistician, the average mcrease in the cost of living over .Inly. 1014. for "All Croups” was 00.5 per cent, in February of this year.

The newspapers also failed to state the following increases: Rent, f>S pet cent.: fuel and light. 7 2 per cent.: clothing. drapery and footwear. 00 per cent., and' miscellaneous. 70 per cent.

The practice of flic newspapers in publishing only the food figures leads all sorts of misunderstandings. Food prices at the moment show the lowest increases, but food constitutes only one-third of tl.a total cost of living bucleet. To publish figures under the heading: ‘'Cost of Living.” which leave out two-thirds of the items m verv unsatisfactory. The average increase in the cost of living to-day is 00.0 per cent, or only one-aml-n-hnlf pm- cent lower than when the Public Servants received their highest cost ol living bonus. The cuts in the ltontises which have taken place as the result of tlie 10’2’J legislation were not warranted at the time, and the present dav increase in the cost of bring would warrant their full restoration. j’i,,. cost- of living has. of course, been very much higher Thau 00-7 per cent—-it touched So. 7 per cent, in February 1021-but the workers wages were never increased to this extent, and with the reductions that have taken place the purchasing power of the weekly wage to-day is considerably below 1011. Skilled workers received Is Od in 3011: to-day they ore receiving 2s I>d ■uid ■>„ o’d—nn increase of only per e’ent. and 4* per cent, to meet a rev-sent dav increase in tho cost ot living of 00.5 per cent. While other sections of the community have unproved their standards of comfort. ■!,.-. Government, by its -legislation, und the Arbitration Court through its decisions, have definitely lowered the standard of living for the ma=s ■> the people of New Zealand. With the purchasing power of then customers reduced, is it any wonder that traders and manufacturers ale complaining of poor business? I am etc., J. McCOMBS.