THE COST OF LIVING

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 15, 17 July 1915, Page 9

THE COST OF LIVING

10 THB BDITOK. Sir,— The price of batter to-day is Is 9d. We have recently been informed that the Commission set up by Mr. Massey had no recommendation to make, and that no evidence of •exploitation had been forthcoming I ha.ye recently had occasion toi examine certain transactions in the books of a storekeeper, and I discovered, inter alia, tha,t' in tho month of April, he was paying; the butter factory from which he bought one shilling per pound for his stock of butter. I have seen the factory invoices for these supplies, and their receipts for the paid accounts, (Most of us remember only too well what we paid our grocecs for butter during April.) How would it do for the Government to appoint and amply protect a Commission consisting of three leading auditors, with all necessary" powers to carry out the following instructions ;— (a) To ascertain the cost price of but« ter per lb to the factory during every month this year. (b) To ascertain the selling price, fac : tory to merchant, in comparison with the result of their investigation of "a." (c) To ascertain the selling price, merchant to retailer, in comparison with the result of their investigations of -"a" and "b." (d) To ascertain the selling price, re* tailer to the public, in compa nson with the results of their investig|ations of "a," "b," and "c" (c) To ascertain which, if s\ny, of the factories, merchants, or retailers have made an inflated profit in butter as judged by the result of tho foregoing investigations, and, if so, where did the inflation arise. (f) To report the result of their investigations direct to the public,- such report to be furnished to ami published in every daily paper in the Dominion. Should such a Commission ascertain anything in tho nature of_ undue inflation of prices in the one line of butter, then their powers to be extended to examine into the question of flour, sugar* and other supplies.-— I am, etc., PLAIN "BILL." 15th July, 1915.