COST OF LIVING

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11878, 24 February 1933, Page 5

COST OF LIVING

CONTINUED FALL LIKELY

HON. A. HAMILTON’S OPINION

MAY INCREASE, RELIEF PAY IE EXPORT PRICES CAUSE RISE

(Press Association,’,

AYELIiINGTON, Feb. 23. In the House of; Repfesentatlyes today Mr. Mason (L) asked Whether In view of-the increase in the cost of living tho Government would increnso allowance to relief workers.

.yThe I-lon. A.. Hamilton said that according to official-returns the cost of living was affected by the following items’: groceries, dairy produce, meat, rent, fuel and light, clothing, drapery, footwear, and miscellaneous. Only a very small proportion of these item s would be directly affected by anything Parliament, had done during tlio present session. The world’s pi/esent low price level would indicate that a substantial fall must- take place in the near future in the prices of many of these items. Although a. few items might rise, n corresponding fall in 'other items should more than offset t-liis rise. It was therefore quite possible that on the whole the cost of living would continue to fall ns it had been doing in the past four nr five years, ns shown by the following figures, giving the. increase per cent, over the cost of living in 1914: —1925, 60.2; 1929. 69:9 : 1.920, 56.2; 1931. 44.3; 1932, 33; November. 1932, 29.1.

The Minister also quoted the following table .comparing the latest- figures with the prices ruling in 1914, groceries 26 per cent, above; dairy produce, 11 per cent, below ; meat 9 per cent, below; three food groups (average) 6 per cent, above; fuel and light, 63 per cent, above: rent, -52 per cent, above: clothing and drapery, 14 per cent, above; miscellaneous, 59 per cent, above: giving an average over all groups of 27 per cent, above. Mr. Hamilton added: “Tn the event of a rise in the cost of living’taking place though a genuine and substantial rise in -export prices. I would he delighted to review the allocations for the unemployed.” ’