1915. NEW ZEALAND

COST OF LIVING: (INDEX NUMBERS OF) FOR EACH MONTH FROM JULY, 1914.

Return to an Order of the House of Representatives dated the Bth September, 1915. Ordered, " That there be laid before this House a return showing—(l) The index numbers of the cost of living for each month from July, 1914, to the latest date available, with percentages of increase in each month over that of July, 1914, for the four chief centres—showing bread, groceries, dairy-produce, and meat separately ; (2) the same information for the food products in the household budget as shown on pago 551 of the Labour Journal for June ; and (3) similar information for the grocery articles included in Group I. A and Group 1b on page 537 of the Labour Journal for July." —(Mr. McCombs.)

RETURN. The following are the commodities covered by the tables given in this return :— Table I. Bread. Table ll.—Groceries, excluding bread : Flour, oatmeal, rice, sago, tapioca, tea, coffee, cocoa, sugar, salt, pepper, jam, honey, golden syrup, treacle, raisins, currants, apricots (tinned), pears (tinned), peaches (tinned), prunes (dried), apricots (dried), potatoes, onions, salmon (tinned), herrings (tinned), starch, blue, soap, tobacco. Table 111.- Dairy-produce : Milk, butter, cheese, eggs, bacon (shoulder), bacon (middle cut) ham. Table IV.-- Meat: Beef —sirloin, brisket, prime ribs, rump steak, top-side, stewing-steak, corned round, corned roll, corned brisket; mutton —leg, shoulder, loin, neck, chops ; pork- leg, loin, belly, chops ; sausages —pork, beef; tripe. ' Table V. —Group la—General groceries : Rice, sago, tapioca, tea, coffee, cocoa, salt, pepper, jam, honey, golden syrup, treacle, raisins, currants ; tinned apricots, peaches, and pears ; dried primes and apricots ; tinned salmon and herrings ; starch, blue, soap, and tobacco. Table VI.- Group Ib.- -Five home products : Bread, flour, oatmeal, potatoes, onions. Table VII. Weekly budgets. (Commodities included are specified in budget.)