The Daily News TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15. THE COST OF LIVING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 15 October 1907, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15. THE COST OF LIVING.

Any increase in the cost of the necessities oi liio j„ a uiaL.i i- ili.u touches each one o! us iioiu diicctiy and iudii'c-i----ly. Some teel it move aciocly th.iu others. Especially is ihis the \,-i: h tile waev-eanvrs ami other struggling i sections (ii i iti' cmnm unit/, \i fa*,. in;i power i; it'sLi-j.iril o> providing the ."('ual e -iim.il, m-'diiii ii> ('xisi-.'M.r. Ji is nmtciidiii i!mt iiisli indicate l'iu,|',..niy. U .■ijuiilly .-iir-.. liwi they ' involve (lisLThe capitalists generally benchl while the i0.;.-,.-,cs -nl\:r. l'Jiit tiuiLions; ; n commerce have a curious way of acting ami reacting <>ll the whole i fabric of national life. ' Xo one part can he aliK'ted without (he rellcx appearing ill all the others. Thus if wages are increased, so is the cost of production, house rent, food and clothing. 'There comes a time, however, when wages reach their maximum, mid when necessaries of life continue to grow clearer the shoe pinches. In a self-con-tained country where all the wants of the people can he proviclul without recourse to tiie importer, there is not the same dilheulty in regulatoig income and expenditure as there is in" those eoun- | tries dependent oil outside supplies. The !jl.iw of supply and demand usually evolves a modus vivendi that works a's equitably as any general principle can. That is is not always etl'cctive i„ primarily due to complexities of society, while other disturbing influences contribute their quota towards upsetting the natural order of things. j The outlook, so fur a.-: Hip Dominion is I concerne*l. is not altogether free from j trouble clouds. Wages have reached j fhat point which looks verv imicJi like | the limit. Xot so tln« necessaries of life. liroa*.!. meat, dairy produce, clothing, footwear. and almost all our daily requirements arc steadily advancing in price. Those who litre !o make Hse of limves lind the oi' i'.vding their animal-; almost beyond toierancO, while the poultry industry U being crushed out owing t,, t!ie abnormal price of cereals. As a contrast, (o this we haw the doubtlu! sat'slactiol) of 'snowing licit the lust beef. mutton, and !a;.-i!> is being carried oversea or 1-i.nni) mil's and then sold at half or .even two-thirds loss than the meat retailed to those ■whore i< produced. Our whe;it, oats, ami other grain i,:u in- biihled in price to any extent that ilr» operator* from lime to time deeide upi>n. A paternal Government has protected {hem from j competition in-ide the Dominion so that Ihey can benefit thein-elve-; at will. The effect of this is already in evidence, for in spite uf the duty imposed on imported it his been found profitable to pay the duty and acquire wmc of Canada's ■urplusage. This may not all'ect the Month Island to a great extent, at all events not for a while, but there is little doubt that if the Southern producers and grain operators do not niter their present suicidal policy it will result in tle opening up of a large import trade between Canada and Auckland that will materially affect the Southern producers. ?n addition to this, it will open the eyes of the people to the drawbacks of protection and possibly pave the way for an open door in respect of the necessaries of I'fo. a The cardinal principle of political ecoj| tfOiity is smtrinv, the greatest good for the mas-ci. There is no doubt hut that j| the hoMiliiy which greeted the preferi entia! proposals at the late comeivnec y of Premiers in London was due to the fear that foodstulfs would thereby bo made dearer. With a door wide open to receive the produce of the world Ureat liritain secures an ample supply at the most favorable price, whereas Now Zealand is endeavoring to follow in the footsteps of the United States. 'Were the circumstances in each case the same there would be some justification, but as it is there is no vestige of ;i parallel i between the two countries. What suits America with its vast resources is hardly likely to meet the ease of such restricted area and capabilities as the Dominion. We can as a community have an exaggerated idea of our own importance, but pride of this kind is apt to be expensive. As we can't live on pride, wutld it not be better to turn our attention to the chief problem of life—that of making both ends meet? There is one important fact that must not be put out of si. lit, even if such a course were possible, and that is the large extent of credit that prevails throughout the country. Had as this system is, under present circumstances, it is likely to lie greatly intensilied by increased cost of living. It is easy to propose to put an end to credit, yet extremely dilii.'till, to dcv'sc a moans fur -ji doing. Nothing short of a monopoly in any business can dictate cash terms. Trad'-i,on ba'm uni'.ns or associations tor their mutual benefit, but this does not prevent individuals from breaking through the rules when it suits their purpose. So eager are some tradesmen for an increased turnover thut they think nothing of incurring the odium of g their confreres by llagrant breaches of agreed rules. It this is the case with regard to selling prices and enticing customers away from a competitor, coins' billed effort to stop credit would be ' • hundredfold more dillteuu. What, then, is the remedy for the public when lace to face with the dillieulty - caused bv bavin- their daily expenditure „, increased on all sides while their oicrease St is slaliomirvr Tie- problem is one that v.v cannot claim the ability to solve. Several means partially meeting the trouble suggest themselves. Ihe tir„t and most obvious is a reduetion of expenditure if possible. In the matter of food there is no doubt that if the science of cookery were studied here as it is in France very great saving eould be ef--1 „ footed. Simple food containing the elements necessary for our bodily wants Ut " is all that we require. That we eat too much of everything in New Zealand has loll" been patent. One tiling is certain,"and that is the limited manner of the greater portion at the people cannot stand much more of the strain of in„ : Ood prices Of the main articles o! food. While there is luMieed for alarm as to the general prosperity of the cotintrv it behoves the consumer to give ,|,;„Hit to their best interest* and devise a means for the inevitable trouble 110 that is looming ahead.