Rising Meat Prices

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30511, 5 August 1964, Page 3

Rising Meat Prices

Mr Holyoake said New Zealanders were paying more for meat because —fortunately for New Zealand—meat prices were rising on the world markets, said Mr Holyoake. He said be thought meat prices in New Zealand would continue to rise for some little time. Increases in Post Office and railways charges three years ago were the result of in-' creased costs. If these charges had not risen, taxation would have had to be increased, and that would have increased the cost of living. The Under-Secretary for Industries and Commerce (Mr Adams-Schneider) said the 1957-60 Labour Government had abided by the principle of “the user pays.” It had, in 1959 and 1960, increased charges for board at new set-

• tiers’, miners' and Public Ser- • j vice hostels and workers’ ■ camps and raised the charge • for new settlers’ children from ■l6s to £1 17s 6d a week. ■ During its term it increased many charges by Government , I departments and raised the , parcel postage rates to 90 j countries. I Mr M. A. Connelly (Opp., , Riccarton) said Mr AdamsSchneider had not explained ; the simple question put by I Miss Howard: Why had the I Government not honoured its : pledge to hold the cost of living as stable as possible? The Government, which had ■ access to official figures, claim- : ed the cost of living had risen : 6.4 per cent in the last three : years but, according to his ini formation, living costs had I risen 8.4 per cent in the three ■ years ended June 30 last, and

the rate of increase in the 12 months to June this year was three times faster than in the concluding period of the Labour Government. The Labour Government had reduced by £1 a kilowatt the State charge to power boards for electricity, but would this Government, which appeared to be set to increase postal and rail charges, give an assurance it would not raise power charges too? Mr Holyoake said it was true the effective wage rate had receded somewhat recently—that was a statistical fact —but the matter was now before the Arbitration Court and the Government had held costs stable enough to make possible a two-year interval between applications. Pensioners’ ’Phones ,

Miss Howard said telephones were almost a necessity for pensioners, but the charges had been raised. Postal charges had been increased, and she could show the Prime Minister that the cheapest cut of beef—“a little piece of. liver”—cost 3s 8d a pound. “Why isn’t the Price Control Division having a look at this?” Miss Howard asked. “If the price of sugar is coming down, is the Minister of Industries and Commerce going to get his department to see everything comes down with it? I’ll guarantee prices of products with sugar in them won’t come down.” Mr Kirk said doctors’ fees had been increased in line with British Medical Association recommendations because the Government failed to increase payments to them from the Social Security Fund.