COST OF LIVING

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 12 March 1919, Page 3

COST OF LIVING

! SOME RECENT FIGURES. J | 1 Figures published in the abstract of I statistics show that at the end of the ! year the retail prices of groceries in "the district had increased by 58.19 per I cent over the prices for July, 1914. ! The average increase for the Dominion was stated at 68.04 per cent. The abj normal increase is explained by the Government Statistician as being due I to the big increase in the price of pota- ' toes In dairy produce the local in.crease since July, 1914, was 20.18 per,' cent. This, again, is lower than tho j 'average increase for the Dominion. , which was set down as 33,10 per cent, j ; In the meat group, the district does not '■ occupy so favourable a position, the increase in price at the end of December being 48.13 per cent. This is nearly 10 per cent nioro than the average increase for the Dominion, which was 33.72 per cent. Upon the three food groups mentioned the average increase locally was 49.03 per cent—a few points lower than I the average for the Dominion, 47,81 per cent. | For tho December quarter, Wanga- j

! jiui was tlic cheapest town for groceries I of tho 25 representative towns of the i Dominion. Invercargill oecupy.ing the ; prominent position at the other end of ! the stole, the difference between them ! being as 1523 is to 1750. There is very . little difference between tho £3 towns' i so far as the cost of dairy produce is | concerned, the towns all being eon- ■ tained between the indices 4322 and I 1481. Taihape headed tho list as being 'the dearest place., and VThangarei the . cheapest. The positions are .somewhat j reversed when tho prices are con- | sidered. Taihape is at one end of tho I UrnnwtKr ill" ]OT\"PSt this lime. WMIC

! GrejTnoutb soars right away to the top. i Taihape 's Index number is 1396, and j | Greymouti's 1567. Wangarrai oeeu- j pies" the ninth position from Grey- j I mouth, its index number being 1599. J I There is another complete rearrange-1 I ment of positions vrhen the test is apj plied to rent figures. The little borough i of Alexandra occupies a position justI above the bulb., WaiM finding a posi- ! tiOE a fevr points above—their indes I numbers being 459 and 495 respective!lv From there the tovrns string out at: ! .varying intervals. Wellington soars practically to the end of the tube, 1301 ! being tho index number assigned to it.