PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. TUESDAY, MAY 9, 1916 THE COST OF LIVING

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 172, 9 May 1916, Page 2

PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS.

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 1916 THE COST OF LIVING

"We nothing extenuate, nor tet down auaht in malice."

Tin. Cost of Living continues to be a much-debated question throughout the Dominion, and all sorts of statements are being made upon the matter, which reflect more or leas seriously upon the National Government, and upon its alleged failure to deal with what is apparently considered in some quarters to be of more vital concern than the war itself. The latest comments come from the "Railway Review"' the organ of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants), which complains that the National Government, ,- to cover up its inertia, or its lack of courage in tackling food exploiters . . . luib adopted the well-worn method of two-blacks-make-a-white argument." The methods adopted in connection with

the attack thus made upon the National Government are extremely unfair. Following the publication of the Government (Statistician's tigures in connection with the fall in the purchasing power of the sovereign, as published in the

Labour Journal for the month of Fetnuuy, the I'rinie Minister obtained a statement "showing the relative increase in the Cost of Living and the lall in the purchasing power of the sovereign in Australia and Now Zealand, between Wl;; and the September quarter of

11)15." It was impossible to bring the figures down to a later date, becaase the statistics available from the Commonwealth were only made up to September oOth of last year ; but, as litey stood, they were sulliciently convincing in the proof they afforded that what the " Railway Review" terms tho "Do nothing policy " of the New Zealand Government had placed this country on abetter footing than " the Australian method <•[ setting a legal limit to commercial greed." The " Review " admits that, " while the puwjhasing power of tho sovoreign has diminished by '2s 9d during war timo in New ZaaUnd, the drop in

itfl ell'ertivo vnluo wlion used to j.iin lia c e tlio necessaries of life in Australia is gi^mil to 5s Bui

it goes on to infer that this is due to the drought from which Australia suffered during tho period covered, and claims that tho regulati >n of prices in Australia has placed that country in a bettor position than New Zealand. Proceeding further, it misrepresents the positiou by insinuating that the Prime Minister's comparison was made upon the January figures, whereas, as already pointed out, it simply dealt with prices down to September of las: year. Lest New Zealanders should think they are hardly done by in legard to the cost of living, it may be stated in support of the contention that the position in this country is better than that prevailing elsewhere, that in England the purchasing value of the sovereign has declined to 10s Bd. " Household expenses have (accouliug to tho Weekly Despatch," of a recent date) increased 30 per cent all round, food is 40 per cent dearer, rent 2 per cent more, fuel and light 25 per cent higher, and clothing 30 I per cent more.