COST OF LIVING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2767, 26 August 1931, Page 5

COST OF LIVING.

::o:: CONDITIONS IN ENGLAND., A BAD SEASON. One of our townsmen received a letter from his sister, now residing at Southsea, Portsmouth, England, who writes as follows:— “To-day, July 15, is that old gentleman St. Swithin’s Day, and as the patfon saint of rain he has risen to the occasion, for. it is literally pouring in torrents. The low-lying parts of the town will be all flooded out. We have had a most dreadful season, and all the drapers have lost heavily, airy fairy garments hanging in the windows and no buyers forthcoming. We have had about ten days’ fine weather, and that was last week when New Zealand visitors came to see us for a week. Fortunately, it was lovely weather, and they went off for day excursions all the time. They greatly enjoyed their visit after the rush of London. The strawberry season has been a record one. I have had them all the time every day. Heaps of them may be bought from at first 8d to 3Sd a lb, and -to-day I made 61b of jam for Is 6d, sugar, included. Two baskets cost 4d, each 21b. I have never seen so many strawberries. — millions of 21b and 31b baskets alone, so you can guess what the crop has been like. The growers ran out of baskets, and then the foreign pulp has been dumped in. To-day’s dreadful storms would ruin the raspberries. Food has never been cheaper than at present. • I always buy and always have bought New Zealand produce. At present butter is Is 2d a lb, honey Is Sid a jar, cheese 7d and 8d a lb, 1 lamb from Is 4d to lOd. Mr Forbes 1 spoke up right manfully, but this Gov- 1 ernment is ruining the country, and we are taxed in every direction. Our ’ little car costs £2O a year in tax and 1 compulsory insurance before we start to run it. Land values have been all ' reassessed; gas is up, and so are elec- 1 trie light and the water rate. The 1 poor rate and, of course, the income * tax arc always with us. . This has gone on ever since the war began, so 1 we should be used to it.” 1