THE COST OF LIVING.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 November 1915, Page 6

THE COST OF LIVING.

IX XBW ZEALAND-1891,1914. A IiOVEKXMENT REPORT. Following the lines already laid down by the statistical departments of the older countries, and of Canada and Australia, the New Zealand Statistical Office is extending the range of its work' to cover the production of statistics relating to industrial and economic enquiries, and the first monograph on economic matters is now issued in the form of a "Report on the Cost of Living in New Zealand from 1891 -1944." It is hoped that in the future it will be possible to publish the results of similar investigations into wholesale prices, wages, unemployment, household budgets and other problems of this nature, so as to provide a complete compendium of information relating to New Zealand economies.

The present report deals primarily with retail prices in the Dominion for the last twenty-five years. In all, fiftynine of the commonest household necessaries are considered, and their prices are averaged and tabulated for each of the four centres of New Zealand over the period covered. These commodities are divided into four main groups, groceries, dairy produce, meat, fuel and light, and each group is treated separately, and all groups are then combined. In addition, rent for various' classes of houses is tabulated for the four centres. The method of the investigation is similar to that used by the Commonwealth Statistician, so that the results are readily comparable with those obtained in Australia.

In 1914, the investigation was extended to cover twenty-five towns which are representative, of the Dominion's various interests, and included in the report, is a discussion of the cost of living in these towns for the four quarters of 1914, and the first two quarters of 1915. A separate chapter is devoted to "War Increases" in the period from July, 1914, to August, 1913. Index numbers are compiled for each group month by month in the twenty-five towns, and separate tables give the percentage increases since July, 1914. The course of prices is further illustrated by separate treatment of the price of bread and of butter and by a reproduction of an assumed household midget, priced at the different levels for each month.

The index numbers of the report are freely illustrated by graphs and supported by tile actual average prices on which the whole report was based. The prices are. given at length in three appendices to the report, consisting of prices in the four centres from 18911913, quarterly average prices in 1914, and monthly figures from July, 1914, to August, 19.1"). These figures not only give the foundation on which the investigation was built up, but also provide a valuable source of information for future use.

The report is issued by the Government Printer at the nominal price of one shilling, and may be obtained from booksellers or from the Government Printer direct.