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Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 89, 13 October 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL Referring in the House last night to the price of meat, Sir Joseph Ward remarked that in New Zealand during the months of July, August, and September it was almost impossible to get bullocks. If, as had been alleged, five men had had to go out of business as butchers, because of the excessive cost of meat, what was going to happen if they took all the war profits, away from all the people who were making those profits. At the present moment they were taking over a million sterling per annum out of the pockets of those who were making war profits. Other difficulties connected with the problem would' be considered by the Board of Trade which it had been proposed to set up. " Victimisation " on the waterfront was again mentioned in the House of Representatives last night by Mr. P. C. Webb. "There is such a feeling of indignation throughout the whole country at the way that some of the shipping companies and the unions are refusing men from getting employment," said Mr. Webb, " that it will have a very bad effect indeed. An appeal has been sent out by the employers regarding enlisting, and everywhere one is met with the argument, ' Some of our boys are away at the front, and we are unable to get into the union and get work.' " He appealed to the Prime Minister to bring in legislation to allow these men to get into unions. Much had taken place in the past twelve months, and there was no telling what would take place in th© next twelve months. But this was known : that all sections of the community must be united. Nothing should ,be done to bring about dissension in the ranks of the workers. Mr. R. Fletcher, referring to the same subject, suggested that the Prime Minister and Sir Joseph Ward should v endeavour to bring about an amicable settlement of affairs on the waterfront. Twenty men have already joined the Forces from the staff on the Wellington Meat Export 1 Company's works at Ngahauranga, and many more are now waiting to be called up. This is a record of which the employees are justly proud. Yesterday, Tpr. T. Marshall, of the slaughtering department, received a present in the shape of a wristlet watch before going into camp. The presentation was made on behalf of his fellow workers by Mr R. W. Dixon. Diminished purchasing power of money is tellingly shown by the Government Statistican (Mr. M. Fraser) in a table which gives the loss of *2s 430* for the average of the four centres during^the June quarter of 1915 In other -nßls, what one could buy for £1 in 1906^ost £1 2s 4Jd in 1915 Taking the cities individually, the amount of money rer quired to buy what could be bought for £1 in the years 1909 to 1913, is in Wellington £1 4s lO^d ; Auckland, £1 Is B|d ; Christchurch, £1 Is l|d ; and Dunedin, £1 Is lid. This is a practical proof of the rise in the cost of living. In the prices of groceries, dairy produce, and meat the increase of all three combin&d in Wellington ii 13.20 per cent, for 14th Augnjrt last over 31st July, 1914 S