THE COST OF LIVING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 7, 2 September 1912, Page 2

THE COST OF LIVING.

o THE COMMISSION’S REPORT. THE GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSALS (Per Press Association.) Christchurch, August 31. At an interview tjlias morning, Mr F. M. 13. Fisher said that there was no question that the report of the Cost of Living Commission was of considerable value to the Government. The Massey Government was alive to the necessity of some of the reforms recommended hy the Commission. For instance, the recommendation affecting imported and locallymade hoots, shoes and slippers was very valuable. Mr Fisher said that he had a Rill in course of preparation, which he hoped shortly to introduce and put through the House this session, which would deal effectively wit|h that class of goods, either imported to the Dominion or made here and sold as being the genuine article. The Government did not propose to take measures to prevent the public purchasing composition cardboard hoots if they wanted to. The Government was certainly going to stop goods of till at description being sold to the public as being leather all through, ft was not the business of any one individual to raise very strong objection to buying shoddy hoots. It was certainly the business of the State to protect citizens being imposed upon hy the sale of adulterated or shoddy gorals. He hoped, as time went on, the public would realise that the new Government was determined that this species of commercial fraud should he stamped out. T):ie report, said Mr Fisher, would probably conn as a shock to many of those out-and-out protectionists, who believed in the development of what they called hothouse industries. A very essential point in connection with the Commission’s report was that sudai recommendations should have come from a Commission upon which Labour was strongly represented. The problem, continued Mr Fisher, was to maintain a sufficiently high protective tariff for New Zealand to enable her own people to buy her own goods at a reasonable price, without having recourse to products of European countries made In sweated labour, wlhiich was the ruh and not the exception. The very object he had in mind last week, in appointing Mr Spence, Collector of

Customs at Invercargill, to go Homo to England and represent the Customs Department, was to prevent the importation to New Zealand of goods made on the Continent by sweated labour, shipped to England, and exported to New Zealand as being goods of British manufacture, thus escaping the preferential tariff. Mr Fisher added that the nature of tfiiic Commission’s report showed the wisdom of the Cube thoroughly digested before anything was done. NEW ZEALAND MERCHANTS’ ASSOCIATION.

THE COMMISSION IMPEACHED. Wellington, September 1. Mr Harold Beaucfniamp, president of the New Zealand Merchants’ Association, interviewed concerning the report of the Cost of Living Commission, was asked why his Association refused to give evidence. “We declined,” he said, “to recognise the Commission as a tribunal capable of giving fair, unbiased and impartial consideration to the evidence submitted to them by members of the New Zealand Merchants’ Association. It was, in our opinion, useless to submit our evidence to a tribunal which was not expected to give it fair consideration. Mr Fairbairn, one of the members of the Commission, has. wo contend, been in avowed hostility to the Association. We allege that Mr F airbairn possessed a strong bias against the Association and its members, and could not exercise that impartiality in considering and judging upon their evidence which Hire Association was entitled to expect, and without which the enquiry would have been useless and a farce. Furthermore, the Association considered that other members of tlhie Commission had had no commercial training, or any particular knowledge of economics. The order of reference recognised that the subject was properly one of economics, and as such demanded that the Commission should be composed of men who had had wide commercial experience, and wtho had some knowledge, at least elementary, of the principles of economics. The Commissioners were so manifestly lacking in these necessary qualifications that it was impossible that a conclusion arrived at by them would be of any value in determining the causes of the alleged increased cost of living, and what action, legislative or otherwise, should be taken to bring about a reduction of such cost.” It was a significant fact, he added, that the retail grocers who had, in their evidence given before the Commission, complained of the hardships inflicted upon the retail trade by the Merchants’ Association, had, in almost every case, been customers of the firm of 'Fail-burn, Wright and Go., of which firm Mr Fairbairn was a principal. It was also noticeable that Mr Fairbairn led all the evidence adduced by these witnesses, and was, so far as the press reports showed, the only member of the Commission who questioned on his own account, and it must Ik> plain to all reasonable mi n that tlbe Merchants’ Association and its members could not recognise the existing Commission as a fair rr impartial tribunal. “They would,” lie said, “have stultified themselves bygiving evidence before the Commission and submitting their case to such a tribunal. The Merchants’ Association and its members have nothing to conceal, and before an impartial and competent tribunal would have been prepared to give such evidence and information as was in their power relating to the prices of articles of food, etc., extending over a long period of years. It is clear that the further increase in the cost of living is due to the higher standard of living which lluas obtained in New Zealand, in common with the whole of the civilised world. I attribute the increased cost of living, in a few words, to: (1) The rates of wages of workers; (2) the shortening of the hours of employment; (3) the diminished output of work, as compared with former years; (4) the extravagance dhnracterising all classes of the community. With regard to the contribution of members of the Merchants’ Association to the pay roll of Now Zealand, it lias been ascertained that members of it (and them only) employ 700 married men and 1192 single men, and pay for salaries and wages an annual sum amounting to £304,109.”

PEOPOSEI) REMEDIES. At the conclusion of tine lengthy.report of the Cost of Living Commission, the following remedies are suggested in reply to the question: — What steps should be taken with a view to reducing the cost of the necessaries of life? 1. Improvement of Xew Zealand statistics: — (a) That the Government Statistician should have full control of statistics. (b) That (Iris oflice should form a separate department. (c) That he should bo allowed to travel abroad. (d) That an advisory board of statistics should be created. (e) That the more responsible offices should bo Idled by men who have gone through a recognised course of training in statistical methods and economics. (f) That the Government should offer a scholarship for post-graduate research in social economics. ‘2. Supply of money outstripping trade: The Commission has no recommendation to make at this stage, further than to advise that steps should be taken to secure the representation of New Zealand on the proposed International Commission on the Cost of Living. 3. Education •. ,

(a) The inclusion in the primary school syllabus of a definite course of simple descriptive economics and the development of a more systematic course in the secondary schools. (h) The extension of education in domestic economy. (c) The formulation of a complete scheme of agricultural education. (d) The endowment of research scholarships in agriculture. (c) The extension of the present system of tecfa.nical education. (f) That those who have passed through a definite course of technical education should receive special consideration in wages rates, etc. (g) That a closer connection should he established between the administrative side of government and the political science and economic departments of the University'. (Ih) That no effort should bo spared to improve the education of the people. (i) That steps he taken to secure expert advice for parents in choosing avocation for their children. 4. Additional provisions suggested for the Commercial Trusts Act. 5. Board of Industrial and Social Investigation should he set up with full powers to call for persons and papers. Several of its functions arc defined in (he Eoport. 0. Customs tariff and protection (a) Abolition of the duty on all foodstuffs and on the necessaries o!

life used by the primary producers. (I>) Failing this, ttie reduction oi certain duties and the abolition o others arc recommended. (c) That all imported and locally made boots containing compositioi or cardboard should be brandei “composition” or “cardboard.” (d) That duties on bootes, shoes, and'slippers, if retained, should lx amended a uniform ad valorem tarifi to be substituted for the preseui one. 7. Land and rent:— (a) That such a land policy is re qiiirod as will break down landmonopoly in town and country; i system of taxation of land value: is suggested. (.See reservations of four Commissioners.) (b) (i) The provision of small holdings; (ii) the extension of village settlements. (c) That the werkers-home scheme should he extended. (el) That the Government should pass a Compulsory Utilisation oi Lands Act. (e) That the Government should provide country settlers with bottei facilities for obtaining (i) communication ; (ii) maternity nurses. 8. Immigration : The Commission states the need for a systematic and energetic policy of immigration, am the continuation of a- similar scheme to that of tf.’e Sedgwick plan. The assisted immigration scheme for ad nil 1 dinar is also favoured. The immi rrntion work should lie undertaken bn a special branch of the Labour J)e pertinent, to act in conjunction witl the High Commissioner’s Office and. the British Labour Exchange. 9. Transport:— (a) That differential rates shall bo abolished. (b) That the permanent Board oi Industrial and Social Investigation should inquire into the whole of tin marine transport services. (c) That steps be taken to give a trial to motor-trains. 10. Municipalisation of markets and • Tvices: — (a) The Commission is of opinion that municipal iish, fruit, and dairyproduce markets should be establish c;l. (b) The Commission suggests that the permanent Hoard of Invostigat ion should take steps to get an • authoritative report on the munici nalisation of the supply of (i) bread (ii) milk. 11. Money-lending and bailment The Commission recommends : (a) That in all money-lending-transactions the rate of interest computed at the annual rate should be embodied in the document confirming the loan. (b) That all bailments and docu monts of sale or mortgage inns' show the- rate of interest computed annually.

12. Weights and measures; Tin Commission recommends that jnovisiou should ho made to ensure tin purity and correct weight and measure of all foodstuffs retailed to the public 13. That the Commissions of Inquiry Act should ho amended to wider the powers of Commissions of Inquiry