PROTEST BY CITY COUNCILLORS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 33, 7 August 1914, Page 4

PROTEST BY CITY COUNCILLORS

Increased prices of foodstuffs were referred to by Councillor «T. Fitzgerald at the meeting of the City Council last evening. Tha councillor stated that a gunner in one of the forts had informed him he had left a billet at which he was receiving £4 a. week as a tradesman to assist in manning the forts at 50s a week. The man had stated he did not object to doing his duty as a gunner, but what he did object to was that as soon as he l j i w ? r k tlie P rice of commodities should be increased almost immediately. He thought the Mayor or the council should make representations to the Government ( to take drastic steps to prevent the. increases. Councillor L. . M'Kenzie pointed out that not only the necessities of life had been increased, but prices had gone up in other directions. He had been informed that the price of plumbing had been raised 15 per cent., and he suggested the council should not be harsh on people and compel them to carry out work while the trouble Was on. Councillor E. Tregear «aid that with the increased insurance and war risks on overseas cargoes it wag only reasonable that imported goods should go up in price, but with the present large stocks of New Zealand produce it was "n monstrous thing" that men should make capital out of the poorer classes on material produced in this Dominion. Councillor W. J. Thompson said that ol>ly flour had increased a little, and the millers were perfectly justified in getting a better price, as they had been working at a loss. (Laughter.) The discussion dropped after the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) had explained that he had already made representations to the Prim© Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey) on the subject. j