HIGH PRICES OF FOOD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 121, 9 October 1912, Page 3

HIGH PRICES OF FOOD.

ITS CAUSE AND EFFECT,

The general tendency is for all foodstuffs to rise in value, remarked Mr. A. Morton, chairman of directors of • the Mangorei Dairy Company, at the annual meeting of suppliers of that company on Monday, and the reason is that money is cheaper. To-day a shilling is worth no more than 9d was ten years ago. People are, therefore, able to pay more, particularly for foodstuffs, and consequently the tendency h'ad been for foodstuffs to. advance in price. He did not say that it would keep on advancing, but lie thought that the present range of prices would keep up. Their markets for butter and cheese were largely in Great Britain and on certain parts of the Continent, as well as to a smaller extent in North Canada. Recent visitors assured them, as well as reports from Home, that Great Britain was never so prosperous as she was at the present time, and was likely to continue so for some time, The spending power of the working classes at present was very large, owing to the amount of industrial

activity, and a3 the working classes were large consumers of Xew Zealand produce, it follows that the price of that produce must continue high. The same state of affairs had prevailed on. the Continent. In England and on the Continent as well, the numher of producers was diminishing year by year,' whilst the .number of consumers was increasing. Here in New Zealand, too, the proportion of producers to consumers was year by year diminishing, as the tendency was for the population to drift into the towns, decreasing the number of producers. Of course, this was so much better for those who remained as producers, as it provided them with a good market, but he did not think that it was in the interests of the country as a whoier" He did not think that a country which went in for industrial pursuits would be as prosperous as one that followed pastoral and agricultural pursuits.