COST OF LIVING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2192, 21 October 1920, Page 1

COST OF LIVING.

I'TimiKli INCREASES. The Government Statistician, in his latest report on retail prices, shows that for the June quarter of 1920, it cost an average of 94s SAd for the four centres to purchase what .Cl would buy in food during the years 1909-13. In Wellington the enhanced price was 355. The Statistician calculates the increase in the cast of clothing between July, 1914, and July, 1920, to be approximately 200 per cent. If this figure (200 per cent.) and the latest ascertained index numbers for fuel, light, and for rent (those for August, 1920) are. combined in their proper proportions with I lie index number for food, the following figures result, asstiming the miscellaneous group of items, for which price statistics cannot lie collected, to have increased (50 per cent, since (he outbreak of war: — July, 1017. Aug. 1920. Food only 27 71 Food, rent, fuel, and light IB oO All groups 20 77 Compared with the average purchasing power of Cl. in July, 1914, the sovereign was worth on June, 1920, as follows: —In groceries, 11s 3'(cl; dairy produce, 12s Id; heat, 13s Dpi; alt three food groups, 12s 3Ad. Increases of all food groups for August, 1914, over the prices ruling July, 1914, are put at 74.4 per cent. This will not take in the new price of butter. The highest percentage of rise in the prices of the food groups is at Ashburton, 83.50 per cent.; Palmerston North follows, 82.32 per cent.; Christchurch is third, 78.17 per cent.; Wellington is (59.25 per cent.; Grey-mouth is lowest, viz,, 59.21. per cent. The Government Statistician also reports a reduction (interim figures) of: wheal production of 2,000,000 bushels, a slight reduction of oats, and maize, an increase in the production of potatoes of over 3(5,000 tons; a shortage of (5(50,000 sheep; an increase of 5(5,721 dairy cows; and 723,000 pigs. The wheat production is roughly 2,000,000 bushels short of the Dominion’s requirements.