COST OF LIVING.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1916, Page 5

COST OF LIVING.

RESUME OF BOARD OP TRADE'S) j WORI? STATEMENT BY MR. MASSE*. ' DEBATE IN THE HOUSE. By Telegraph.—Press Association Wellington, East Night! Jno , vernier laid on the table of th* .- House to-night, a paper giving a resume i>t tin- vcrk done by the Board of Trade, m (ir&'w lo frjvp members an opportunity to discuss the cost of living He f-kul that many people Were inclined tfll blame the Government for tho high cost ot living, but in many respects thie was owing to the war, and was beyond* " the power of any Government to control. As a matter of fact, both the Government and the Board of Trade had •uono a great deal to keep down the cost or living. it wa 3 true that in some instances, as in the case of sugar this was done by an arrangement, which resuited m a net saving to the people of the Dominion of £300,000.. He quoted figures from the return by an Australian statistician showing the increase m the cost of living in Australia, which amounted to 34.6, while in New Zealand it was as near as possible just half tnat amount, namely, 17.57. During the past few months we had no increases in prices, ao we compared very favorably with what was going on in " Australia. To keep down the- cost of living the Government took the line of encouraging production, while the Board of Trade had been appointed to prevent people being exploited. He 'confessed be was at first dubious about the success of the Board, but he doubted no more, and was satisfied the Hoard would justify Its existence. He traversed the wheat purchase, contending that but for the action of the Govcrn]i cut, there would have been a bread shortage. As to what had been done to assist the workers, lie declared no country in the world had so many necessaries free of Customs duties, while tho large exemption from incometax was also of great issistance to men with small incomes. Rents were being dealt with by legislation before the House. He admitted the prices of butter and cheese were high, but he . claimed that tho action of the Government in stopping export during the past few months had prevented the prices becoming much higher. It was impossible for the Government to control the) prices of goods imported into this country, because they did not control the freights. Tie was not a State Socialist, hut he believed flic time was cnining when there would he a line of Stateowned steamers trading between here and Britain. A factor in the cost, of living was the cost of production, which to-day had been largely increased in, many cases, and this should not he for-" gotten. The country was extreme 1 .;/ prosperous, and the reason for that prosperity was the industry of the producers. Tf the Government attempted t» interfere with production the to« suit could only be disastrous to the] country. Mr. Wilfoid said that no matter how long the debate lasted, it could only he a debate, for the initiative must rest with the Government, and unless! Ciev wore prepared to bring down legislation, then the House could get ncj furlhcr. Mr Vigor Brown strong]? attacked the! Government for their failure to do, something to reduce the cost of living, pud he moved a 9 an amendment: "That (ho House regards with disfavor the failure of the Government to introduce, legislation to reduce the cost of living.'' Sir Joseph Ward said that when'thei debate was announced he expected to near some definite suggestion from the critics of the National Government a 9 to how the cost 'of living could be reduced, but not. a simile suggestion hRd been forthcoming. He had talked with. lmny men who thought deeply upon this question, and the only practical suggestion he ever had put before him was the reduction of rentals, which tho Government were now endcavourinsr to do. Wc, from time to time, heard fancy seheme s of State enterprises and forming a great State monopoly of pro-dn.-tion, but who believed any of these schemes could be put into operationt During a great wai such ns that which now raging, everyone knew they could not be given effect to, so it was no use deluding the people with talk of that kind. The,more he thought of this question of the cost of living, the more he saw that most of the'increases in prices was due to the war, and were beyond the control of tho Government. Wc, in this country, had tn face the fact that the prices of our products were ruled by circumstances beyond our borders. " Owing to the seizure of steamers by the British Goveminent to heln us win out in tho jjroat war there hud been enormous difficulty in getting freights, and until tho war was over these conditions must prevail, with the consequent high pjiee oi living. Dr. Thacker contended the Government might have done much to reduce the prices of matches, honey, tobtacco, oatmeal, and school books. Many old people might have been assisted in meeting the cost of living by an ,'nicrcaso of old-age pensions. '■Mr. Noswovthy contended that high turiils were rcMionsiule fur the cost of living. Protection was maintained in the 'interests of the industrei! classe-, but if this was the settled policy of tho country, then protection should alsu to given to farmers.