COST OF LIVING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 321, 10 July 1912, Page 8

COST OF LIVING.

EVIDENCE IN WELLINGTON. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. Giving evidence before the Cost of Living .Commission, • Stanley S. Brown, managing director of Samuel Brown, Ltd., said that Westport coal cost ex wharf £1 5s a ton, and cartage to the yard la (Id per ton. With all costs, the price rose to £1 13s 8d per ton, and the average selling price was £1 15® 7d. In 1906 the cost of coal was Is per ton less, and the selling price 2s per ton 1 more, so that they were now realising i 3a less than in 1906. The price of labor and horse feed had gone up considerably. At present there were 32 coal dealers in Wellington, and there was perfectly free competition here. Edward Bull, secretary and manager of the New Zealand Candle Company, said that the price of candles had not gone up in recent years. Statements had been made which he would like to refute. Merchants never had anything to do with fixing prices in Wellington. It was> also incorrect to say that the bperations of the Burmah Candle Co. had brought-the price of candles down one penny. The decrease was due to a drop in the price of paraffin wax. There had not been two meetings of the New Zealand candle manufacturers with the object of raising prices. The removal of the duty on imported candles would send local factories out of operation in a very little time. His firm could sell to any merchant. Wm. Sinun, manager of the Wellington branch of the 8.1.C., had been in the drapery trade 29 years, and had noticed no appreciable rise in the price of drapery or men's clothing in the last ten years. There was a demand for a better out and style of clothing, which was mainly noticeable in the working classes. Ten years ago thousands of pairs of moleskins were sold, where now only ten were sold.