THE COST OF LIVING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2187, 9 October 1920, Page 3

THE COST OF LIVING.

JULY-AUGUST INCREASE 8.6 PER CENT. WELLINGTON. October 7. In the House of Representatives this afternoon, .Mr McCombs asked the Premier if be would immediately set up a Select Committee ol Die'House to consider this session the question of making recommendations for a reduction in Llie cost of living. He explained that the abstract of statistics which uvro published yesterday showed a fuithor alarming increase in the cost of living in New Zealand, the increase m the index figure ior the two months, July and August, being 92 points or an 8.0 increase in percentage, in the nrocerv group prices bad practically doubled since July, .1914, the index fpMiro for this group being now -AMD. The average percentage increase tor the combined food groups was now 71 J per cent. Mr McCombs said that he" had put similar questions earlier m the session when the Vminer bad said that be would probably ask the lluttei Committee to go into the matter, -hut this had not been done. The Premier sa*l that He did not think the Rutter Committee had quite finished its labours. He agreed that Dio matter was an important one. but he had not vet had the opportunity ot looking into the figures. He would Replying to Mr Fraser, Mr Massey said -that ’it was not possible for the Government or the House to do anything in connection with the puce of the present season’s butter, which was being sold at 2s lOd per lb. until the Parliamentary Committee, winch has the matter in hand, had reported to the House,