THE COST OF LIVING

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10666, 22 June 1912, Page 5

THE COST OF LIVING

COMMISSION AT AUCKLAND. > (By TelegrapK—Frm Association.) " ' AUCKLAND, Last Night.. A# the Cbet of Living Commission, Thomas Miller, booit and shoe reibailer,, -when aSkedj if there was an\ combination among the retailers, said some years ago an all tempt was toadc to fix prices, 'but it never got 'beyond the "moot" stage. There was at present 'an association, but was only fee the regulation of the liC'iwis, and to dea'i with the hallf-holi-day question l . The cost of the raw matcrljl itos' constantly increasing; •HedJid not think Now Zealand manu!factuirera had inclreased the prices more than they had: been compelled •to. do by the increases in the prices of irabbelrfci'l and labour. If an increase of wages was made next month ate was almost certain., it would be aiecetes-'ary ito hand it'ltoit ineivJaso on to the consumer. : Petek V'rtue, manager of a F-lour-•miJiling Compomy, sa'id that during' 'his thirty years' • experience he had 'never, kjiown : a who'at "ring" or "corner" Jni the Dominion. He maintained that the cost of living was no.t increased. It was a higher standard bf laving. • Danief. Jos, McGown, dottier in farm land d-aflry produce', said that during itli's pivot tein yews the price of dairy 'produce had probably gone up 15 iper cent. This w'as dine to the im,provcfmoiVt in price realised by Home fcind 'foreign markets. Cither evidence was heard, and the 'Commission adjourned.