THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1912. THE COST OF LIVING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10710, 2 September 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1912. THE COST OF LIVING.

j When the composition <.f the Cost oi ! Ijiving Commission- was announced, wc j ventured the opinion that the rc- | suit of its investigations would have j no appreciable effect upon the econoj mic conditions wli'.-h obtain in the I Dominion. An examination of. the conclusions arrived at by the Commission {which must be credited with u. sincere desire to justify its existj ence) confirms this opinion. The 'report,, .which.-was -ta'id upon the tabic i of the House on Friday la&t, is of a most comprehensive character. The Commission has no hesitation ii: stating that the -standard of living has increased very materially in recent yeirs. This deduction must Lave been obvious, without the necessity i'oi . calling evidence. The discovery t! at "the produce of land is liij;h not because land is dear, but land Is dear because produce is high," is i»y no •means original, nor lias it a very considerable bearing upon the issue. it is interesting to lelirnthat "the wealth obtained by some people from the increase of land-values if often devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and luxury." It would be surprising, indeed, if such were ifl>t the case. But what has this to do with the cost of living. The Commissioner tell U.S in all seriousness that "tho world demand lor Xew Zetland products has steadily increased, and our export quantities and values have increased in response." This i<i quite true, when taken over a period c.f years, though the quantities and values have varied considerably. This information is readily available from the Official Year Book, and it was hardly worth while paying a Coin mis- , sion to place on record a fact which 'was clearly established by published I statistics. The recent remarks of thf* Hon. T. Mackenaie Avere prohably re» sponsible* for the statement that "there is a probability that further markets may ultimately bo mvailablo to our 'producers." It is reassuring to I learn that "as a general rule New Zealand produce is not sold in the London markets at a lower price thon in the local markets," though no men- | ition is made of the fact that the quality of the article consumed in the ' is inferior to that which is» sent Homo. According to the Comtmissioners, the drift of population into the towns has had a marked effect upon "the cost of living, presumably on account of the fact that primary production has been minimisod. A comparison with other countries, however; filiowjs that the general level of pricey ■has risen less, since .1890 in "New, Zealand than in any other country, while the standard of wages in- , creased in a greater ra,tio. The rfv port says that "it is ma-do clear thai

Kew Zealand is 1:1 special danger of being exploited by combinations fixing selling-prices, imposing penalties on traders and boycotting independent traders." No mention is made ot the fact, however, that the country has for years been exploited by combinations fixing tho selling-price of labour, and imposing penalties upon thoF.vj who are independent. The Commission docs, however, admit that "ncith-

or prices nor wages can go. n r.smg indefinitely." The general effect of labour legislation is held to have boon "an improvement in the environment of the workers." But there h no evidence to show that it has increased the efficiency of tho worker.. On the contrary, it i« shown conclusively that -the cost of production has increased. Whilst the Commission, ia careful to say that the labour legislation, is unable to affect tho prices of our staple commodities, which are fixed hy tho rale*} ruling in the world market, it studiously refrains from mentioning the effect that this legislation has had upon the development flf primary and .secondary jndustries. The rise in the level of prices is attributed in a measure to the increased gold-supplies of the world. That is to say, gold, being more plentiful; has not the purchasing power that.it had a few years back. The Commission does not suggest how this should bo remedied. Nor doeg it say that the standard of living is too high. To prevent the drift of population to the towns, however, it urges the importance of agricultural and technical education for the hoys, and domestic economy for the girls. Tin's, is precisely what is provided in the Agricultural High Schools in Victoria and New South Wales, and is the antithesis of the High .School as it is known in New Zealand. The whole of the remedies suggested (or a major portion of them) are already incorporated in the policy of the Reform Pariy. The abolition of the duty on all 'foodstuffs and on the necessaries of life used hy the primary producers; the breaking down cf land monopoly; in town and country; the provision of small holdings; the provision of better facilities for country settlers obtaining communication and mater, nity nurses; a systematic and energetic policy of, immigration ; these recommendations are already embodied in legislation which is in course-• of construction. The socialistic tendencies of certain members, of "the Commission are revealed in the demand for the taxation of land value* and the establishment of municipal markets for fish, fruit and dairy produce; but when all is said and done, these have very little hearing upon the problem Viewing the report of the Commission as a' whole, one is forced to the conclusion that it supplies little information which was not already in the possession of the Legislature, and that its findings are, for the most part, vague and inconclusive. Tt will liavo no more effect upon the cost of living in the Dominion than has the man in the moon