THE COST OF LIVING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12550, 11 July 1901, Page 4

THE COST OF LIVING.

Mr. ToRNBTJLii was scarcely fair in his referenca last night to out remarks on "The Cost of Living." He had been amused, he said, at an article in a. paper, saying that living under £3 a week was not possible; there were many living and keeping families in Christehurch. on much less than half that amount. We were careful, we thought, to guard against this particular misunderstanding. That some men are trying to keep' families on less than thirty shillings a ■■week, is, unfortunately, true; Christchurch has far too large a population of struggling poor for a, small city in such a prosperous land, and we are not unmindful of their troubles and hardships. Bui we specially chosa another class of workers, whose, case, it seems to us, is too often ignored by those above and those below them. The clerks in any commercial office, in Mr Tumbull's own, for example, are expected, to (maintain a oertain standard in dress and lire up to certain social requirements, which all entail tihe expenditure of money. They cannot appear at their office in moleskin trousers and grey shirts, and their wives and families must be neatly dressed. They cannot live in hovels, and at times they cannot avoid the payment of unforeseen subscriptions. Their employers expect them to maintain a certain, position, and their upr bringing and education compel them to observe a certain standard of comfort in their homes. They might keep body and soul together on less than thirty shillings a week, but in the circumstances our estimate of £3 a week for the average) expenditure is reliable. The case of these families ds surely entitled to consideration, and to accuse us of being out of sympathy with the work-people because we considered it, is absurd in the extreme. Mr Turnbull seems to have read our remarks hurriedly, and has missed a point which would have been clear to a more cai-eful reader..