The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FIRDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1915. THE COST OF LIVING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 74, 26 November 1915, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER FIRDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1915. THE COST OF LIVING.

Following the lines already laid down by the Statistical Departments of the older countries, and of Canada and Australia, the New Zealand Statistical Office is extending the range of its work to cover the production of statistics relating to industrial and economic inquiries, and the first monograph on economic " matters is now issued in the form of a "Report on the Cost of Living in New Zealand from 1891-1914." Tt is hoped, the Statistician states, that in the future, it will he possible to publish the results of similar investigations into wholesale prices, Avages, unemployment, household budgets, and other problems of this nature, so a s to provide a complete compendium of information relating to New Zealand economics. The present report deals primarily with retail prices in the Dominion for the last twent\\-(ive years. In all, fifty-nine of the commonest household necessaries, are considered, and their prices are averaged and tabulated for each of the four main centres of New Zealand, over the period covered. These commodities are divided into four main groups, groceries dairy produce, meat, fuel and light, and each group is treated separately, and all group-; are then combined; In addition, rent for various classes of houses is tabulated for the four centres. The method of the investigation is similar to -that used by the Commonwealth Statistician, so that the results are readily comparable with those obtained in- Australia. In 1914, tile investigation was extended to cover twenty live towns which are representative of the Dominion's various interests, and included in the report, is a discussion of the cost of living in these toAvns tor the foui' quarters of 191!, and the first two quarters of 1915. A separate chapter is devoted to "War Increases" in the period from -July, 1914, to Av~ ust, 1915. Tndex-numbers are compiled for each group month by month in the twenty-five towns, ami separate tables give the percentage increases since July, 1914. The course of prices is further illustrated by separate treatment of the price of bread, and of butter, runl by a rciv.oduetion of' i"i nssnmed housoh-d/l budget priced at the different levels for each month.

The index-numbers of the report are freely illustrated' by graphs and supported by the actual average price-, on which the whole report was ha ed. The prices are given at length in three appendices to the report, consisting of prices in the tour centres from 18911913, quarterly average prices in 1914. and monthly figures from July, 1914, to August, 1915. These figure's not only give the foundation on which the investigation was built up, but also provide a valuable source of information for future use.