COST OF LIVING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 119, 21 May 1914, Page 3

COST OF LIVING

VARIOUS THEORIES BACK TO THE LAND. Theories about the cost of living are as many and various as the definitions of drunkenness. A long letter has come from Mr. W. C. Kenton, who discusses The Post's recent editorial article. The correspondent based part of his letter on a misreading or misunderstanding of the text, and therefore space cannot be spared for his comments. The conclude ing part of his treatise is more interesting, thus :—: — "It is true that with a complex system of production there is a tendency for primary industries to sink in iniportance. This condition is aggravated by all schemes which distort the productive powers of the country. No one will deny but that Now Zealand could carry many thousands of additional people on the land. ,The reason why they are not there is cither that there is land mono* poly or because industries are artificially lostered in the cities by means of tariffs. By the abolition of these two deterrents there would be a less wasteful j distribution of labour throughout the country, and the primary industries would certainly benefit accordingly. The fundamental problem of the high cost of living is, indeed, related to the fact that there is" this wasteful distribution of labour in production, and your article is right to a certain extent in stating that there is need for the employment of more people on the land. There must, however, be the opportunities of getting this employment, which can, in my opinion, be readily accomplished by forcing into use that land 'which is held idle to-day. A sufficiently heavy land tax would accomplish this. It would also bring primary products at a cheaper rate to the market, because production would be from the more productive land forced into use. Labour, also, would have a better opportunity of being employed on the land, and everyone Knows that the greater the demand for labour the bettor chance there is for higher wages. Surely it is a desirable thing to have higher wages under a less costly system of production. There is no better way than this of reducing the cost of living." "Proletarian" i B rather prolix in criticism of "Peter Progress." "Proletarian" generally contends that from the producing viewpoint New Zealand workers can ".more than hold their own" by comparison, with people of other countries, and he denies that they live Wastefully. Replying to on© argument by "Peter Progress," the "Proletariarr states :— -"Granted the bread can be bought a halfpenny a loaf cheaper by going for it, I doubt whether meat can be bought cheaper by going for it. Anyhow the kiddies would wear out in boot leather the halfpenny they had saved. I think if 'Peter Progress' had to send his children to the chops for everything he needed, he would coon get sick of it. He also has the insolence to ack whether 'Peter Blank' takes his wile and kiddies for a long walk on Saturday aiternoons. or does he take them to the pictures? Surely a working man and his kiddies can have a few pleaeutfes of life, iMfc As only the pictures." Mr G. H. Gray resents a suggestion that Red Federals— when the ports were locked up— became blameable lor adding to the cost of living. " The watersidere," he says, " had no quarrel with the farmers, and had no wish to ruin them, because, if they did bo, there would bo no wool, cheese, and butter to be handled, and they would be permanently out of work. Had the farmers put as much energy and money to light the common enemy of both, the monopolists, the strike, or lock-out, would have been quickly settled, and a better understanding would have arisen between the producer and the watersiders, who have to handle, pack, and despatch their goods to the world's markets." Mr. Gray contends that living is dearer than it was some years ago, and he states that combines, eliminating competition, are largely responsible. Ho mentions, as an example, the tarilt list of the Merchants' Association, about which tho Cost of Living Commission took evidence, and his comment is, "The Government could alter things if it had the welfare of the majority at heart."