COST OF LIVING

Southland Times, Issue 18840, 5 June 1920, Page 5

COST OF LIVING

PUBLIC MEETING AT WELLINGTON. R.S.A. PROPOSALS. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 4. A public meeting called by the Returned I Soldiers’ Association considered the cost of i living ■ question, gnd passed several lengthy i resolutions, including the following;—" That | this niee ing believes that the intolerable in--1 crease in the cost of living is largely due to conditions that can be controlled by the Government, and 'therefore calls upon the | Cabinet and Parliament to take immediate steps to reduce paper currency, to impose a levy on all war profi's, and grant by legislation the right to duly authorised officers to inspect the invoices and books of any traders so as to ensure the immediate detection of any profiteering.” “That this meeting calls upon the Government to control profits by fixing a standard rate of interest for each class of business and industry, to reduce the Customs duties on the necessaries of life, and increase the duties on certain luxuries, to cheapen by means of an export tax and control of prices the cost of butter and meat, and to place an export tax on wool.” “That the income tax on companies and manufacturers of necessaries of life be abolished, and that a yearly bonus -of at least £lO for each child be paid to families having incomes under £250 per year.” Other resolutions called upon the Government to appoint a Minis'er for Housing, to stop land aggregation, and increase the land tax; to acquire compulsorily land suitable for settlement, to re-value nil land for taxation purposes, and to stop all speculative trafficking in land. The local president of the Returned Soldiers’ Association said that the Association would take charge of the resolutions and press them persistently on the attention’ ol the Government. THE PRICE OF MILK. DAIRYMEN AND THE BOARD OF TRADE. CHRISTCHURCH, June 4. In reply to the request of the Dairymen’s Association that an enquiry should be held into the position regarding the wholesale price of milk, which was fixed by the Boaxd of Trade at Is 3d per gallon, Mr W. G. McDonald, chairman of the Board, has replied that no good purpose can be served by further enquiry. The price of Is 3d on the farm wholesale seems reasonable pending an arrangement in regard to butter prices. The association has replied: “The dairymen regret very much the attitude you have taken, and will be sorry if they are forced to break the law, but they cannot possibly supply at Is 3d. This is final.”

PROSPECTIVE DROP IN FOO'IWEAR PRICES. . LEATHER CHEAPER. (Special to the Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 4. Some relief to the public in connection with the present high prices of footwear is likely in the near future. A prediction to this effect "was made to a Sun reporter by men in the trade, who forecast a decline in the rates for New Zealand made leather. “The easing in rates for hides, taken in conjunction v.ith the fact that values have declined in the world markets is significant,” .said a bool manufacturer. “It was steted by the tanneries some time ago that a rise of 6d per lb in the price of hides meant an increase of 4d to the price of leather. It will be seen, therefore, that the extent of the rapid fall in the rates for hides must mean cheaper leather, unless prices at auction build up again for the raw material.” This manufacturer said that it could not be expected there would be any big drop in footwear in the Dominion for some time to come. A good proportion of the stocks coasist of lines purchased before the rise in leather which followed the lifting of the embargo, so a drop in leather at this stage might simply have the effect of stopping the rises that are occurring in boots.