The Cost of Living.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43323, 9 May 1908, Page 3

The Cost of Living.

The Labour Department’s Journal for April has a useful table showing the prices ruling in each of the four centres of the Dominion last month. Bread was 3fd the 21b loaf throughout the Dominion, factory butter, Is 3d in Auckland and Dunedin, Is 4d in Christchurch, and Is to Is 5d in Wellington. Eggs were quoted at 10|d in Christchurch, Is 2d in Dunedin, Is 4d in Auckland, and Is 8d in Wellington. Sugar was 9s 4d fors6lbs in Christchurch, 7s 9d in Auckland, 8s in Dunedin, and 9s in Wellington.. Milk-was 3|d the quart in Dunedin, 4d elsewhere. Commodities such as dried fruits, tea, flour, jam, and groceries generally do not greatly vary, but for some reason candles are shown to have been a full penny per pound higher in»Christchurch than elsewhere Coal was 9s per quarter of ton in .Christchurch, ys 6d in Auckland, 5s to 9s in Dunedin, and 7s 6d to 10s in Wellington. ■ ;There seems to be no reason why Christchurch housewives should have been paying gd for pork sausages quoted elsewher at ,6d arid 7d. But meat price generally were highest in Christchurch, as the following figures show :

Fruit prices rather favoured the South Island for home grown varieties but the Christchurch prices of fish show that Christchurch has been paying altogether excessive prices for even the commoner sorts. The table of rents for workers’ houses is also instructive:— Wn. Ch. 4 rooms 14s to 18s gs to 15s 5 rooms 18s to 25s ns to 18s , Vrboms 20s to 30s 12s 6d to 22s 6d 7 rooms 25s to 35s 15s to 30s Wellington, of bourse, occupies the worst position here, but apart from rents it would appear that the cost of living is higher in Christchurch than elsewhere.

Ak. Wn. Ch. Dn d d d d Brisket ... .. 2* 3 4 3b Rump Steak . •• 9 8 9 7 Corned Beef . .. 6 5 6b 6 Mutton... . •• 3h 3 3 Chops ... •• 7 6 6 5 Pork •• 7 6 9 8 Bacon ... •• 7 5i 8 8 Sausages . 6 6 9 6 'Tripe ... . •• 5 4 .9 6 Ox Tongues .. . — 2s 6d 3 s 3 s