THE COST OF LIVING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 5, 4 August 1916, Page 3

THE COST OF LIVING.

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE.

Per Press Association

Wellington, August 3

Tne Premier laid on the table of the House to-night, ;i paper giving a resume of the work done l>y the Board of Trade, i» order to give members an opportunity to discuss the cost of living. He said that many people were inclined to blame the Government for the high cost of living, but in many respects this was owing to the war, and was beyond the power of any Government to control. As a matter of fact, both the Government and the. Board of Trade had done a great deal to keep down the cost -of living. It was true that in some instances, as in the case of sugar, this was done by an arrangement, which resulted in a net saving to the people of the Dominion of £300,000. He quoted figures from the return by an Australian statistician showing the increase in the cost of living in Australia, which amounted to 34.6, while in New Zealand it was as near as possible just half that amount, namely, 17.57. During the past few months Ave had no increases in prices, so we compared very favorably with what was going on in Australia. To keep down the cost of living the Government took the line of encouraging production, while the Board of Trade had been appointed to prevent people being exploited. He confessed he was at first dubious about the. success of the Board, but he doubted no more, and was satisfied thei, Board would justify its existence. He traversed the wheat purchase, ' contending that but for the action of the Government) there would have been a bread shortage. As to what had been done to assist the workers, he declared no country in the world had so many necessaries free of Customs duties, while the large exemption from in-come-tax was also of great assistance to men with small incomes. Rents were 'being dealt with by legislation before the House. He' admitted the prices of butter and cheese were high, but he claimed that the action of the Government in stopping export during the past few months had prevented the prices becoming much higher. It was impossible for the Government to control the prices of goods imported into this country, because they did not control the freights:;,He Was not a State Socialist;; but-. he believed the tinie was coming when there would be a line of State-owned steamers trading between here and Britain. A factor in the cost of living was the cost of production, which to-day had been largely increased in many cases, and this should not be forgotten. The country was extremely prosperous, and the reason for that prosperity was the industry of the producers. If the Government attempted to interfere with production the result could only be disastrous to the country.

'■ Mi- Wilford said ( that no matter how long the debate lasted, it could only be a debate', for the initiative must rest with the Government, ami unless they were prepared to bring down legislation, then the House could get no further. : Mr Vigor Brown strongly attacked the Government for their failure to' do something to reduce the cost of living, and he moved as an amendment: "That the House regards with disfavor the failure of the Government to introduce legislation to re-

duce the cost of living." Sir Joseph Ward said that when the debate was announced he expected to hear some definite suggestion from the critics of the National Government as to how the cost of living could be reduced, but not a single! suggestion had been forthcoming. He, had talked with many men who; thought deeply upon this question, and the only practical suggestion he ever had put before him was the reduction of rentals, which the Government were now endeavouring to do. We,' from time to time, heard fancy schemes of State enterprises and forming a great State monopoly of produc-| tion, but who believed any of these j schemes could be put into, operation? During a great war such as that which now raging, everyone knew they could not be. given effect it was no use deluding the people with talk of that kind. The more he thoilght of this question of the cost of living, the more he saw that most of the increases in prices were due to the war, and wore beyond the control of the Government. We, in this country, had to face the fact that the prices of our products were ruled by circumstances beyond our borders. Owing to the secure of steamers by the British Government to help us win out in the great war there had been enormous difficulty in getting freights, and until the war was over these conditions must prevail, with the consequent high price of living.

Dr. Thacker contended the Government might have done much to reduce the prices-of matches, honey, tobacco, oatmeal, and school books. Many old people .might have been assisted in meeting the cost of living by an increase of old-age pensions. Mr Nosworthy contended that high tariffs were responsible for the cost of living. Protection was maintained in the interests of the industrial classes, but if this was the settled policy of the country, then protection should also be given to farmers. SITTING TILL 4.15 a.m. NO-CONFIDENCE DEFEATED. Wellington, August 3. After the Telegraph Office closed, Mi' Talbot proceeded to quote figures to show that the cultivation of wheat was approaching a crisis, and if the production of cereals was to be continued some assistance would have to be given to growers. Undoubtedly, j the additional cost of living had ad-j versely affected the worker, while thej merchant or the producer had sub-j stantially benefitted. ' Mr Walker was opposed to an increase of duty on'wheat and Hour. Mr Ell said that while everything that might have been done had not been done to reduce the cost of living, when we compared the cost of living here with that in Australia or England, there had practically been no increase at all. We were lucky people to lie as well oft as we are. He did not agree with the war bonus to civil servants getting more than £215 per annum, but strongly" urged that the casual labourer in. both publice and private employ should be.similarly treated. He would not support the amendment, which was practically a want-of-eonfidenee in the National Government. Mr Payne severely censured tiie Government for failing to * reduce the cost of living, and declared that if Mr Brown could succeed in turning them out ho would be doing the greatest possible service to the Dominion. A division was taken at 3.10, when

the amendment was rejected by \'2 to 0. I Mr Massey. in reply, thanked Mr, Brown for giving the House, an op-1 portunity of declaring the emphatic opinion that the National Government had not neglected to bring in legisla-, tion to reduce the cost of living. The, time of the House had not been wasted, as though the debate was, the worst he ever heard in the House, it had pricked etiie cost-of-living bubfile. | The amendment was such that no self-respecting Government could regard it as other than one of no-con- 1 fidence, which, if carried, would have compelled the Government to tender its resignation. Fortunately, the House had taken care that this would not be necessary. |

Replying to criticism of the wheat purchases, Mr Massey quoted reports from the Statistician on the stocks m hand, and which showed the necessity) for the Government going to Canada for supplies. As events turned out,] it was not required, but if had beeu| wanted what would have been said if the Government had not taken this precaution. Speaking of the future, Mr Massevj said be could see plainly that in a lew years our wheat supply would be a diminishing quantity unless something was done to encourage wheat-, growing, and it would be a sorry day for New Zealand if we had to depend on Australia for our wheat. He depreciated attacks on the Board oi Trade and quoted figures from statistics to show that the cost of living in England had now risen 70. per cent, vet there was less complaint in England than here. To combat contention that the Government outfit to fix maximum prices, he nliw quoted French and Roman history, and the speech of Mr Runciman (president of the British Board of Trade) to show that such tampering with supplies had resulted in disaster. If the, people could only read the opinions expressed during the course of the dehate they could only come to one conelusion, and that was that the Government had not failed in their duty, and that, taken all in all, there was not much reason to complain at the cost of living. The motion that the paper be laid, on the tablt and be printed was carried, and the House rose at 4.15.