THE SHRINKING SOVEREIGN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1551, 16 May 1916, Page 3

THE SHRINKING SOVEREIGN.

WAR INCREASES UP-TO-DATE. The monthly abstract of statistics for April, 101 (i, contains some interesting tables showing the course of retail prices up-to-date, the percentage war increases in jirices, and the present purchasing power of money as compared with its purchasing power in pre-war times. The following tallies give, for the four chief centres, the percentage of increase' in the retail prices of food ruling on March 15th, 1016, over the retail prices ruling on July 31st, 1014 ; —• Auckland : Groceries 15.58, dairy produce '24.(10, meat 10.25, ehree food groups 15.41. Wellington ; Groceries 10.04, dairy produce 13.10, meat 15.(50, three food groups 1(1.71. Christchurch : groceries 13.20, dairy produce 14.2(1, meat 20.03, three food groups 1(1.21. Dunedin : groceries 10.13, dairy produce 13.30, meat 10.80, three food groups 18.04. In the following are shown also the percentage of increases in retail prices for the three food groups combined ruling for the months of February and March, 191(1, and for March, 1915, over the prices ruling on July 31st, 1914 : March, Feb., March, 1915. 191(1. 191(1. Auckland 10.37 15.69 15.41 Wellington 10.34 14.31 16.71 Christ,’eh 10.39 16.78 16.21 Dunedin 13.24 17.37 1804 While the. subjoined table shows the amounts required to purchase in each of the four chief centres during the March quarter of 1915 and the March quarter of the present year what would have cost 20s in the average of the four centres in 1909-13 : March March, quarter, quarter. 1915. 1910. Auckland 23/7;i 25/02 Wellington 23/72 24/9 Christchurch 23/22 24/72 Dunedin 23/101 25/51 It is very clear that the shrinking sovereign is still shrinking, and it would seem to be only too probable that as the war goes on its rate of shrinkage will increase.