COST OF LIVING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17263, 2 September 1916, Page 7

COST OF LIVING.

INCREASES STILL RECORDED. Latest figures in regard to tho cost of living in New Zealand are given by the Government Statistician (Mr Malcolm Fraser, F.S.S.), in the “ Labour Journal.” The average prices for the Juno quarter of 1916 show, au increase of. lo points over the figures for tho March quarter. The index numbers are as follow:—June quarter, 1916, 11615 June, 1916. 1105; March, 1916, 113 b. Thermometers illustrating the movements of prices in twenty-five representative towns during the period dealt with show that in the groceries group there was an upward trend in seven towns and a slight fall m eighteen, tho decreased, price of potatoes benig sponsible. Invercargill, owing to the low price of bread and flour, was tho cheapest town for groceries, and Rotorua the dearest. M ellington occupied a middle position. In dairy produce there was a considerable advance in au towns, this being usual at this season of the year. New Plymouth. naturally held the most favourable position,, and Wellington was high above all'others, mainly owing to the price of milk, which also led to Oamaru occupying the second place on the list. There ncre heavy increases in the price of meat in Gisborne, Palmerston North and Nelson, and slight decreases in eight other towns. Gisborne was the 'dearest town for meat, and’ Blenheim and Nelson the cheapest. "Wellington continues to lead all other towns in rents, though the influence of the latest increases is not vet shown in t ; .e figures. The consequence is that Wellington leads in the general cost-of-living table, while Alexandra, where rents are low, occupies the most favourable position. The Statistician’s weekly budgets (the assumed weekly household consumption of certain foodstuffs) give the following comparisons between June, 1916, and July, 1914:

These figures arc based on the average of tbe four chief centres. They indicate practically this—that four families living in the four centres, and whose average expenditure on food m July, 1914, was 19s BJd per week, would find in June, 1910, that they would hare to pay; 24s for the same bill of fare.

July, 1914. June, 1916. Inc. s. d. s. d. , P.c. Groceries . 6 n 7 113 20.82 Dairy produce 5 Meat . i .7 m 2 7 8} 8 33: 29.82 15.99 Total . 19 "si 24 0 21.78