THE COST OF LIVING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 205, 9 May 1912, Page 5

THE COST OF LIVING

EXCESSIVE PROFITS OF RETAILERS. By Cable—Press Association —Copyright. Sydney, May 8. Mr. Griffiths, Minister of Labor, has had a comparison made of the cost of articles of daily diet, according to the tenders of Government contractors, for January 1909 and January 1912, and finds that there is a material decrease for the latter period. He is convinced that the immense increase asked from the public is simply due to the excessive profits of retailers. THE PINCH OF PRICES. NOT FELT DOWN SOUTH. Christchureh, Last Night. With a view to ascertaining local opinion on the rise of prices in groceries, as predicted in yesterday's telegram from Auckland, a representative of the Press spoke to a number of wholesale merchants and retailers to-day. The consensus of views was on the whole against the idea of any such rise. Of course, as was pointed out by one of those interviewed, there has been for years (and must continue to be) a steady upward tendency in the price of goods. They accompany the rise in wages, but no special rise need be anticipated—at any rate in Christchureh. The ipanager of one firm expressed the opinion that the expected rise in prices in the North Island was no doubt caused by the high demands of the warehousemen's unions. Such unions do not exist here. The keen competition in the trade kept prices as low as could be expected, and he did not anticipate any general rise.