PRICE OF FOOD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16807, 17 March 1915, Page 6

PRICE OF FOOD.

A PROTEST SUPPORTED. [Pi;r Press Association.] DUNEDIN, March 16. The Port Clinliners Council lias agreed to support the Runanga Borough Council’s protest regarding increased price of foodstuffs and to seek tho co-operation of tho member for tho district with a view to urging the Government to secure relief.

THE WORKERS’ COMPLAINT.

GRAVE DISCONTENT. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, March. 16.

Before tho Arbitration Court to-day, in making application that the Court should set aside its ruling suspending consideration of awards, Mr E. J. Carey, representing the Cooks’ and Waiters’ Union, referred to the increased cost of living, which always liiti tlio worker the hardest, even apart from war prices. It was estimated that in tho four years prior to th« war the cost of Jiving to the worker in Wellington increased between 7$ per cent and 10 per cent. In the five months of the war to the end of 1914 there was an averago increase of 8} per cent, and since January 1 another increase of 4 per cent had taken place. This increased cost of living was very serious to tho award worker. The 48s and 50s wage fixed in manv awards practically represented less than 40s. It was only just that these conditions should be discussed, and it was in tho public interest that the Court should not cease operations. What was wanted was constitutional redress in a constitutional way for a state of affairs that was creating grave discontent not only in Wellington but throughout Now Zealand.

AN AUSTRALIAN’S OPINION.

HIGH PRICES UNJUSTIFIED.

STATE ACTION APPROVED. [From Our Correspondent.]

AUCKLAND, March 16.

“In my opinion the demand has noil risen to the proportions which justify such a high rise of pricos as. that which is now taking place,” says a visitor, Mr M. Anderson, of the Sydney University. “ I believe that the home consumers of New Zealand are being compelled to pay unduly high prices owing to the fact that her agricultural products can obtain such high prioes in foreign markets. Tho rise in the price* of flour in Australia at any rate (and tho same applies to Now Zealand ' as far as I am able to judge) has been very largely unjustified; indeed, the first big riso in price took place "alt the opening of the war, before tho stocks; of tho millers wero in the least likely to be affected. It' seems to me, when we look at the high percentage of the rise in tho price of foodstuffs since the war began and consider the quantities of the available stock® of food and commodities, very .difficult to justify such a great rise. Perhaps the most glaring case is that of sugar, which, as everybody knows, is a home product. Tho sugar trade of Australasia is mostly a colonial trade, and _is therefore but little affected by the factors whicli are making for a rise in prices in the immediate arena of the conflict in the extraordinary conditions ruling during war time. It seems hardly extravagant to commend tho political ludgmpnt that leads the Governments of to-day to,interfere with things regarded as sacred during normal times. The suggestion of State bakeries and the Government’s action in purchasing quantities of wheat <=eem to me absolutely sound and whollyjustified in the present circumstances, and I fear that even more drastic action may be required before many months are over, for there is sure to be an even greater rise of prices than at tho present time. The home consumer can only be saved, from yerv serious loss by some restriction wliioh will keep preserved to him the old advantages of the homo market. lho English Government,” continued Mr \ndersou. “ has given an example to the world in bold and drastic State notion in ail unparalleled situation. No colonial Government need fear to tako similarly bold stehs in such unprecedented circumstances.”