COST OF LIVING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 291, 5 June 1912, Page 5

COST OF LIVING

INTERESTING EVIDENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Niglit. The Royal Commission appointed by the Government to enquire into the cost of living in New Zealand opened its sittings in Dunedin this morning. Mr. E. Tregear presided, the other members present being Messrs. A. Fairbairn, E. Hall, McDonald, Veitch, M.P., and Robertson, M.P.

In reply to a question, the chairman said that the Commission would remain in Dunedin about a week.

The first witness was Steve Boreham, Who described himself as "a general laborer, tradesman, sailmaker, shearer, blacksmith, etc." He said that the price of clothing had remained unaltered despite Customs remissions. He contended that the high price of butter was due to foreign agents clearing the market and creating a shortage. The remady would be to get the agents on the land. He declared that the agents purchased sheep from farmers at 10s to 12s each; yet the butchers paid 23s od. The commission agents were to blame for running up the prices of commodities. Butchers did not, as a rule, buy direct from farmers, being mostly tied to auctioneers or firms employing agents. George Joachim, managing director of the Westport Coal Company, said that the effect of the award of the Arbitration Court in the coal-mining industry had been to increase wages, but the Westport Company had borne the increases so far, and had not passed them on to the public. The wholesale price of coal during the last ten years was 5 per cent, lower than during the preceding ten years. There had been no rise in price in coal, except within the last few months. Possibly State competition had sharpened the company up a bit. The company had two collieries, and had an arrangement with the Union Company to provide the steamers required and to send them wherever the Westport Coal Company directed. The company's miners had the most regular employment of any in Australasia, There was no arrangement to regulate the price of coals. His household expenses for the last five years showed an increase of 8 per cent, over the previous five years. Wages to indoor servants had increased 33 per cent., and rates had increased.

F. J. Sullivan, merchant, said that he had been exporting since 1889. In his opinion prices had not increased to the public within that time. He had tried four years of retailing fish, poultry and rabbits, but he had been glad to get out of it, owing chiefly to the harrassing effect of labor legislation and the Labor Department officials, and labor unions. There was competition in the wholesale fish trade, and no combination to control the market. There was a union of fishermen at Port Chalmers to limit the catches and re,gulate supplies. Private people who thought that they were getting a shilling's worth of fish really got fourpence worth of fish and eightpence worth of service. He believed in a wholesale market for fish. The Italian fishermen here seemed to do best. Account Bales he had seen were as high as £2O per boat, equal to £lO per man for a week. The standard of living had increased.

Steve Boreham, on being recalled, said tkat he had ascertained that there was a ring amongst the butchers in Dunedin, whilst those buying potatoes in small quantities—that was the householder — paid greatly enhanced prices on those paid by the wholesale man.

A witness vouchsafed the information that in the purchase of furniture those buying on the time-payment system paid at least 10 per cent more than if they bought outright. The Commission adjourned until Wednesday, and will probably sit in Dunedin until Saturday.