COST OF LIVING

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2228, 18 January 1921, Page 1

COST OF LIVING

A PALL OF TWELVE POINTS TEA, RICE, POTATOES, CEREALS.

A slight fall in the cost of living, as far as the food groups arc concerned, is indicated in the December Monthly Abstract. “The index number for the three food groups for the month of November -(Dominion weighted aver-

age) is 1887. a decrease of 12 points as compared with the preceding month’s ligurcs (18!)!)), and an increase of 7(>.3(5 per cent, as compared with that for July, PUL" slates the Government Statistician in ah explanatory note. “The decrease for November is accounted lor by a fall in price of items in the groceries and the dairy produce groups. In the former group tea, rice, potatoes and cereal preparations (such as rolled oats) show the biggest and most general lull in price, while the fixation of the price of butter has accounted for the fall of l(i points in the index number of the latter group as compared with the previous month. “During the September quarter of 15120 the amount required on tlio average to purchase in each of the four centres that amount of food which would have cost 20s on the average for the four chief centies during the years 1909-13 was as indicated below, the corresponding figures for June quarter, 1920, and September quarter, 1919, being given bv way of comparison:—

Sept., June, Sept., C'en ire. 1920. 1920. 1919 s. d. s. d. s. d. 'Auckland 36 2 , 31 01 31 31 Wellington 30 9 35 0 31 5:j Christchurch 30 91 31 1 30 9i Dunedin 30 7 31 91 30 OH Average 30 7 31 8 31 1