The Advocate. [Established 1888.] [PUBLISHED DAILY.] OLDEST ESTABLISHED PAPER AND GUARANTEED LARGEST CIRCULATION IN THE DISTRICT. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1912. THE COST OF LIVING.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXIII, Issue 333, 9 February 1912, Page 4

The Advocate. [Established 1888.] [PUBLISHED DAILY.] OLDEST ESTABLISHED PAPER AND GUARANTEED LARGEST CIRCULATION IN THE DISTRICT. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1912. THE COST OF LIVING.

A burning question in connection with all Labor troubles, and especially so in reference to this country, is the increase in the cost of living that lias taken place in an advanced ratio to the increase in .wages. To put it in another way, the increase in payment the workers have gained lias been lost to them by the continued increase in Jiving expenses. The opponent of trade unionism at once disposes of the question bv retorting that the one is the natural complement of the other "pay the working man more -money and the cost of production naturally rises, and we must have more for our goods." The argument would he sound u ere it not for the fact that the increased cost to the consumer al\vays shows, proportionately, a greater increase than any award made by the Arbitration Court- demands. A telegi am from Eltham in yesterday's issue of the Advocate will illustrate our point. The shipping companies have lecently agreed to increased rates of pay for their employees. A very small augmentation of the freight chargeswould have been sufficient to cover the increase, but the shipping companies trading to Patea have, it is alleged, increased' their freights out o all proportion to tlie increased cost of handling the cargo, the rise in some cases equalling 50 per cent. Just such a similar instance of "undue j)roportion" was shown at Melbourne a feu months ago. The stevedores were allow ed an increase in wages, and' the charges to the public were at once heavily increased. This is one of the real causes of the trouble, and many illustrations of the same course of procedure on the part of the middleman ! have been recorded in New Zealand. Adverse comment lias been excited by

the recent rise in the price of butter, and in Labor circles there has been current a rumor to the effect that the men might refuse to handle butter for export on account of those who control the retail trade having put up the price to what is alleged to be ail abnormal and unnecessary figure. That New Zealand butter can be purchased cheaper in London than in Wellington implies a state of things that requires consideration. There are many ways in which the consumer is now being penalised, but the principal factor in the increase in the cost of living is undoubtedly directly due to the action of several controlling trusts. The trust is a hydra-head'ed monster, which stretches out in all directions, and no policy can be acceptable to this country which does not provide for the closest investigation of all organisations that may be formed for the purpose of making undue demands on the general consumer.

Country correspondence will be found on page 2 to-day. Our new serial story is continued on page 3. Tlie report of the Woodville County Council appears on pages 6 and 7. The ordinary meeting of the Borough Council will be held this evening. The annual picnic in connection with the Tipapakuku School is being held at Ivaitoki to-day. The Tiratu planing mill has been re-built at Mangatera, and will commence running either to-morrow or Monday. The radio office, Wellington, advises that the Ruapehu, Wimmera, Aorangi, Ulimaroa and Moana will probably be within wireless range to-night. The -annual meeting of the Dannevirke Building Society will be held at the manager's office this evening at 8 o'clock. The directors will meet at 7.15. The Waipukurau bowlers have laid down an excellent green in their little township, and are very anxious that the Dannevirke bowlers should visit them and try its quality. Mr W. F. Berkahn, of Tipapakuku, has just harvested a fine crop'of oats, which it is estimated will run three toils to the acre. The croj> has been saved 1 without having been discolored by rain. There is a. considerable amount of stock traffic going on at Mangatera. just now, and we understand that the improvements recently made to the yards are proving most satisfactory. A collision took place last evening in High-street North between a motor cyclist and the rider of a bicycle, but fortunately no serious damage was occasioned to either the riders or the machines. The Municipal Band intends giving an open-air concert in the Band' Rotunda on the .Recreation Ground this evening, under the conductorship of Mr Nicholas. The performance will commence at a, quarter to eight.

Mr Charles S. Hart is in town today making arrangements for the appearance of the Taylor-C'arrington Company here on show night. The company will stage a curtain raiser, and the comedy "Nothing to Wear." A levy of as per 1000 sheep is made to assist the defence fund of the Farmers' Union. "It is not a compulsory payment," remarked the chairman of a branch, "but those who are shrewd enough to see trouble ahead' generally contribute it." "I have the greatest respect for old age, but not in this form," said Cr Grainger speaking at the Woodville County Council yesterday. The remark was prompted by the fact that the chairman had handed him a copy of_tlieir standing orders printed in 1879, and which Cr Grainger considers are so out of date as to be practically worthless. In the course of a hearing of a case at the Supreme Court at Panierston North yesterday, in which a charge of assult was involved ,His Honor the Chief Justice, S'r Robert Stout, remarked that some Magistrates appeared to think that a charge of assault to be upheld necessarily entailed a broken head. That would be rather like the Irishman who said that 110 harm had been done, as nobody had been killed.

Mi' G. V. Pearce, M.P.,returned homo on Saturday night from a trip through the Hawke's Bay district (says the Hawera Star) . He told a Star reporter that in the vicinity of Dannevirke the country was looking fine and green, but towards Hastings it was very dry, whilst on towards Porangahau it was green again. But they had had a remarkable good season round about Hastings aI! the same, and. had turned off more fat stock this year than ever before. At Porangahau the store sheep were bringing higher prices than similar sheep were reaching on the coast.

The Native Land Court yesterday, presided over by Judge Gilfedder, commenced the hearing of the dispute between the Government and the native owners concerned in the 38} acres at the back of the racecourse which was recently taken by the Crown at the instigation of the Chamber of Commerce, as a scenic reserve. The Crown had valued the land 1 at £l2 per acre, and the natives demurred to this price and demanded more. This Scenic Commissioners were represented by Mr Kimbell and the natives by Messrs Robertshawe, Sim and A. L D. Eraser. Messrs George Wright a ' 1( 1 Newett were called in support of the Crown's valuation, the former valuing the land at £l2 per acre and the latter at £lO. Evidence was given this morning on behalf of the natives bv Messrs H. Monteith and W. G. Hunter, the former contending that the land was worth £22 per acre and the latter placing its value at £l9. Alter hearing this evidence the court fixed the price at £2O per acre. The pleasures of a holiday arc threefold: The pleasure of looking forward to the vacation, the delight of 11 io holiday itself, and tho pleasure o. looking back upon the happy days. If you are a photographic enthusiast t'he_ anticipation of delightful days with your camera mtakes you almost [as happy as do the actual experiences. The holiday comes and at last you may photograph, everything \ our rancy suggests—here ia pretty scene, there a group of friends, yonder some tiny tots. Then comes the final pleasure of living your .holidays oyer again by going over your photos l! om A " The Fo'lditng Victor iv.li to Quarter pi ato Camera will prove a boon companion on your trip It is British made, fitted with Rapid Achromatic Lens, "Ensign" JuniorAuto Shutter giving Time, Bulb and Instantaneous exposures, .and Real Brilliant View Finder. The price is only 25s post free to any address Harringtons N.Z. Ltd., 42 Willisstreet, Wellington.