COST OF LIVING.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 63, 14 March 1924, Page 5

COST OF LIVING.

HIGHEST IN WELLINGTON. COMPARED WITH AWARDS. "WELLINGTON SUGGEST. 7_ OF INCREASE. (By Telegraph—Special to "Star.' > CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Fio-ures issued by the Government Statistician and Dublished in the latest Abstract of Statistics, show that in Wellington the cost of living is higher than in the other three cities. Ihe trade unionists of Wellington have long complained that the Court of _ Arbitration does not take this fact into consideration, when makine awards. Tney state that wases awarded by the Court <nve the workers of Dunedin and Christchurch a decided advantage in purchasing power. Some of the Wellington unionists state that it is their intention to brin<*- the matter before the Court and ask for a nereent__e on wages for Wellington workers. The proposal is that 7i per cent additional w-age shall be granted to all Dersons working under awards covering the city of Wellington. The extra wage, it is said, will bring 1 the wage value to that of other cities. This mornin- Mr. G. Renn. the secretary of the Canterbury Federation of Unions, pointed out that it was not likely that Wellington's contention that Christchurch and Dunedin were cheaper places to live in than Wellington would be admitted by the unions of the southern cities in tiie Arbitration Court. AYhile rent was lusher in Wellington more essential articles of living were dearer in the southern cities, especially fuel aud meat. .__ _ | The Index Figures. ~~^""~ The index figures for the food, rent, fuel and light groups, taking 1000 as the limit of the cost of living in 1909-13. were at the end of the December quarter: Auckland 1500, Wellington 1G27. Christ- | church 1573, Dunedin 1481. ! Wellington is therefore 67 points higher than Auckland, 54 points higher than Christehui-h, and 140 higher than Dunedin. The groceries group .retail prices) shows that in Dunedin, in the aggregate the cheapest of the four centres, these commodities are 14 points higher than in Wellington, 20 points higher than Auckland, and :14 points higher than Christchurch. Dairy produce is dearest in "Wellington, where the index is 1539. as against 1431 in Auckland, 1353 in Christchurch. and 1474 in Dunedin. In the meat group Auckland heads the list with 1473, Christchurch being next with 1445, Wellington "1390, and Dunedin 1325. Rent in Wellington (IG_>o) shows the greatest margin of all groups above the other centres, being 142 points higher than Auckland, 152 higher than Christchurch, witli Dunedin the lowest, 39:5 points behind the capital city.