THE COST OF LIVING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2200, 9 November 1920, Page 3

THE COST OF LIVING.

“HOUND THE CORNER."

Speaking in the House on triday night, the Prime Minister said: “I cannot sec that there has been an increase in the cost ot living just recently." Potatoes, he went on, were about one-third of the prices of last year, and everybody ate potatoes. He had heard of lo tons of potatoes ,-old in the pit for Is a. cwl. Mr Massey said that when prices had fallen so low it must fidlow that there was a'fall all over New Zealand. He had noticed advertisements of tea reduced by bd a lb. Jt was reported that the bottom had fallen out oi' the hides market, and that hides were practically unsaleable. That meant a reduction in the price of leather and suhse(|uciitlv of bools. .1 hen tliev all Hww about the position of crossbred wool. He saw in a shop recently a suit marked at £5 ss, and it was stated, lie did not know bow correctly, that that was a reduction of £2 Ids. Mr Massey continued that it was quite evident that there was a decrease already in the cost of jiving. He did not say an nllionnd decrease. He saw a suggestion made by a business man that there wotdd ho a. big reduction in the cost of clothe.- after Christmas. It was suggested tradespeople would try to get the most they could for the Christmas trade, and after that prices would conic down. He thought that already they were round the corner, and that they might look for a decrease in the cost of living. He did not know how it would affect the country’s business in other directions, but it would give relict in that way.