THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 1911. COST OF LIVING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 1038, 19 August 1911, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 1911. COST OF LIVING.

'The Bill introduced in the House of Representatives by Mr A. W. Hogg, M.P., having for its object the i removal of the duty from flour, wheat, butter, and other pi-oduce, ha& involved the Legislature in a discussion of the 'whole economic problem of Jiow to live. That the cost of living at the present time.is abnormally higjh in, New Zealand, is apparent to >all who have to foot the weekly bill. On the other hand, wages have been steadily rising, and will continue to' rise so long as trade unions, and Arbitration Courts, and agitators exist. The sorry part of the 'business is that, whilst the inei'ease in the of living affects all classes of the community, the increase of wages affects only those who are fortunate enough to be in constant employment, and those who oome within the scope of the Arbitration Court award. The thousands of clerks, and railway employees, and domestics, and general laibourers who have no meaitiiS of forcing up their wages, are in an infinitely worse position*-than before the Arbitration) Court came into existence. However much one may deplore the condition of things that at" present exists, it is nevertheless a fact that the man with a family to maintain has a desperate, an almost bea.i't-breaking struggle for existence. Experience has shown that an increase of wages is no solution of the problem, for, so soon as an increase is made, so soon does the price of commodities go higher, and still higher. Mr Hogg is imbued with a noble impulse when, he strives, to j relieve the burden of (those who are j

the innocent victims of a system over which they have no control. He is. however, only touching the fringe of the problem. Does he imagine that the removal of the duty from flour will mean a cheaper loaf? Does be hope that by removing the tariff from butter the price* will be reduced? He is optimistic indeed if he imagines any such thing. What happened over the reduction of the duty on tea and kerosene? Did *he head of the household derive the slightest benefit? Emphatically not. The whole concession went into the pockets of the middleman. The sacne thing would undoubtedly happen in regard to flour, or wheat, or other commodities. This is no argument in favour of the retention of the Customs duties. These, at the best of times, are an unwarranted imposition. The better way to deal with' the problem, as it present* itself fco r day, would .be to remove all indirect taxation, and impose a graduated tax upon incomes. By this means the man who made the imoney, whether from agriculture, or commerce, or mining, or other form of speculation, would have to pay. The trust, whether it .be on the' part of commerce, or labour, should bo sternly repressed.