THE COST OF LIVING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3071, 16 December 1908, Page 4

THE COST OF LIVING.

The distinction of being the city in which the cost of living is the highest in New Zealand has always been Jaimed with a sort of melancholy pride by Wellington, a.id until quite recently no one has sought to divest it of any honour which might accrue to it through the demands it made on the purses of its inhabitants. Wellington has now, however, been called upon to defend its claim, and Christchurch is mentioned as a dangerous rival. The challenge was thrown out in the Arbitration Court at Christchurch the other day by Mr Darcy, who was appearing for the Drivers' Union. He contended that although rents were admittedly higher in Wellington, the difference in the price of commodities was against Christchurch, and that that difference equalled 20 percent., making the cost of living iri Christchurch if anything higher than in Wellington. The subject was referred to in the Arbitration Court on Monday morning, when Mr Darcy returned to the charge, armed with a certificate given by Mr Cleghorn, an accountant. The document set out that Mr Cleghorn had examined the figures quoted in the Journal of the Department of Labour giving the prices of commodities and the rents of houses in Wei lington and Christchurch respectively. The total cost of the commodities specified would be in Wellington £5 16s 6Jd and in Christchurch £6 4s sd. As far as rent was concerned, he had taken the figures for fourroomed houses, and had conduced that the average rent in Wellington was 18s as against 12s in Christchurch. Having considered the figures available, it appeared to him that the cost of living in the two cities was practically the same.