WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 February 1918, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

COST OF LIVING

STILL RISING.

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Feb 11

The current number of the Abstract of Statistics issued by Mr. Malcolm Fraser, the Government Statistician, shows that the cost of living so far as it is affected by the prices ruling for the commodities included in the three food groups, groceries, dairy produce and meat, is still rising. Mr. Fraser bases his calculations on the average prices ruling in the four chief centres from 1909 to 1913 and taking this as his index number (1000) sets out in higher numbers the advances that had occurred up to the eve of the outbreak of war, and that have occurred since. On July 31, 1914, according to the Statistician’s system of assessment, Palmerston North was the cheapest market in the Dominion for the articles included in three food groups. Its figure was 990, that is its prices were slightly lower in the aggregate than the average prevailing 1 in the four chief centres during the peiod from 1909 to 1913.

THE MAGNITUDE OP THE

ADVANCE

The figures of other representatives towns at this time were Wanganui 1030,. Dunedin 1042, Christchurch 1049, Timaru 1061, Invercargill 1064, Blenheim 1066, Gisborne 1073, Wellington 1083, Oamaru 1086, Auckland 1090, Hamilton 1093, New Plymouth 1119, Taihape 1144. Greymouth 1167. At the end of -the December quarter, after practically three years of war, the figures in these towns were Palm-

erston North 1416, Wanganui 1401, Dunedin 1365, Christchurch 1358, Timaru 1384, Invercargill 1416, Blenheim 1426, Gisborne 1463, Wellington 1458, Oamaru 1416, Auckland 1440, Hamilton 1383, New Plymouth 1438, Taihape 1465, Greymouth 1397. The average for the. whole Dominion just before the commencement of the war was' 1070, or an advance of 70 upon the average for the four-year period 1909 to 1913, and the average at the end of last quarter 1417, an advance of 32.44 cent upon the average prices being charged on July 31, 1914.

COMPARISONS

Some of the corfiparisons that are being made between the advance of prices in different towns without a proper understanding of ‘ the figures, are distinctly unfair. Palmerston North, for instance, has been quoted as 43.03 per cent higher than those it was charging before the war, the highest percentage advance in the whole list. But of course the percentage in this town is high because Its pre-war prices were exceptionally low. Its present figure, the real test, is 1416, while figure Is

1458, Auckland’s 1440, Napier’s 1490, and Masterton’s 1441. New Plymouth, whose pre-war prices were high and whose percentage advance is only 28.51, has a figure of 1438 which is substantially larger than that of Palmerston North. Other towns that have been misrepresented in this way on account of the lowness of their pre-war prices are Wanganui, Blen. heim, Invercargill and Dunedin.

THE CHIEF OFFENDER,

The outstanding feature of the quarter’s figures, and indeed of all the returns since the commencement of the war, is the advance of prices in Wellington., In the grocery group, just before the outbreak of war Auckland’s number was 1001, Wellington’s 1033, Christchurch’s 1046, and Dunedin 1014. Now the figures are Auckland 1343, Wellington 1476, Christ, church 1284 and Dunedin 1237. There was not a great deal of difference, as will be seen, in the figures of Wellington and- Christchurch on July 31, 1914, but since •Wellington prices have advanced 42.88 per cent and Christchurch only 22.75 per cent. In the dairy produce group Wellington always has been high, but starting at the figure 1163, compared with Christchurch 1024, before the war, it has now reached 1429, while Christchurch stands at 1251.

WELLINGTON’S PRE-EMINENCE,

It is only in that Wellington compares favourably with the other large centres and here, thanks to the independent action~bf one of the big freezing companies, it is below them all with a figure of 1456, while Auckland’s figure is 1610, Christchurch’s 1524, and Dunedin 1011. Except in this particular commodity Wellington tradesmen appear to have a free hand to get what they please for their gcods. When the huge rents charged ia the capital city are taken into account it is a long way ahead oT hvery other town, great lind small, in the cost of living. Its figure is 1376, while the figure of Auckland is 1245, Christchurch 1174, Dunedin 1163, Hamilton 1249, Gisborne 1255, Now Plymouth 1228, Wanganui 1231, Tai-

one

hape 1256, Palmerston North 1208,

Blenheim 1151, Greymouth 1129, Oamaru 1149, and Invercargill 1148. Th 6 privilege of living at the seat of Gov.

ernment is an extremely expensive