COST OF LIVING.

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 2886, 4 March 1916, Page 4

COST OF LIVING.

THE DWINDLING SOVEREIGN. WHY" DO THE CITIES VARY? The rise in tlie prico of butter, which operates on Monday next, means another Id per ib, says the Now Zealand Tunics. It does not matter what lhe quality of the 'butter is. whether it is the choicest that tbe fat pas Lures of iara,iia-ki will yield or that seini-lntnslucont. doubtfullooking quantity which is fairly and honourably sold as an inferior butter —all-move up Id per lb on Monday. li)i a house using four pounds of butter a week that means Id extra for butter, with most probably no extra income or wages or salary to meet the -increased cost on the weekly food bill. Of -course, it Is only 4d a week more, and "that will neithor make nor break, to uso a well-known argument. But there arc other increases of twopences and threepences and fourpences and more weekly, ever recurring increases. The Govojriiment Statistician (Mr M. Eraser), resting in. the security of the eloquence of his figures, make's no comment, but just lets his tallies lell their own story of the effect of these rises on the incomes of people living in (he four centres. He "is extremely careful m the. collection of bis data, aud an examination of his price lists shows that the official prices are a shade, if anything, under lhe. actual over-the-counfer prices. Mr Fraser, in his statistics iv theJanuary summary, shows that what, tho sovereign bought in the period between the years 1909 and 1913 im (lie four centres, nmv costs (during the quarter ended December 31 last) an average of 23s 2-Vd. Put in another i way, a- man iin the six-yoa-rly period above stated who' was -receiving £3 a, week, and ha.s had no rise, is by 1 reason of the increased cost- of living, only receiving £2 10s sid ocr week, taking ihe. average of the four centres. But in Wellington, according to Mr Fr.Tser. lie -is worse off tbaii Mi any other of the four cities. The comparison is as follows: — 1909-13. Dec. 1915. R. d. s. d. Auckland ... 20 0 22 9 Wellington .. 20 0 25 3 Chnistchurch 20 0 22 10 Dunedin ... 20 0 21 Jl It, costs 25s 3d to buy in Wellington what, you can get for 21s lid in Du.nodiu— if Mr Fraser bo correct—and it has. lo be borne, i n mind that, bis scientific reputation and official posucon rest upon the accuracy of his figure."*. Put iii! another form, this is the poailiom of £3 per week in Wellinglon and the other cities who llnas had no rise since the period 1909-1013: — Wages. 1909-13. Dec. 1915. Auckland .. £3 £2 11 9 Wei ling-lon ... 3 2 4 3 Christ church 3 2 11 fi Dnnod! ; ,n 3 2 14 3