THE COST OF LIVING.

Mataura Ensign, 1 November 1911, Page 4

THE COST OF LIVING.

The cable reports to-day that Sir Asquitli (Premier) has stated that the British Government will undertake through the Board of Trade a full inquiry into the cost of living. Curiously enough, the cause of the present dtearness of everything is said to be the plentifulness of gold. The purchasing power of the sovereign depends upon its scarcity. When it is hard to get things are cheap; when it can be got £or the picking up, things are dear. This explanation sounds a trifle paradoxical, but it has the sanction of the highest economists. The world is suffering from a surfeit of gold, and unless all the gold mines cease turning out tiho precious metal for a time, or something happens to use up the present supply, the cost of living is likely to go on mounting up. The following table, compiled by the Board of Trade, shows the various differences between the prices ruling in England! in 1896 and in 1910. The prices quoted are in eafh case for the same quantity bought in either of the years mentioned :

1896 1910 Increase £ 8. ■ d. £ s. d. £ K. d. Bread 4 13 0 5 14 0 1 1 0 Flour 4 8 0 6 0 0 1 12 0 Beef ... 4 12 0 ' 5 13 0 1 1 0 Mutton 4 9 0 5 4 0 0 15 0 Pork ... 4 14 0 5 5 0 0 11 Q Bacon 3 18 0 6 18 0 ■ 3 0 0 Butter 4 15 0 5 (', 0 0 11 0 ... 4 11 0 5 12 0 1 1 0 Cheosci 4 0 0 5 0 0 1 0 Tea 4 10 0 5 0 0 0 10 0 Cocoa 4 13 0 5 0 0 0 7 0 Sugar 5 0 0 6 4 0 1 4 0 Jam, treacle, marmalade 5 0 0 5 9 0 0 9 0 Currants 4 3 0 6 6 0 2 3 0 Itaisins 3 17 0 5 5 0 1 8 0 Rice ... 4 12 0 4 13 0 0 1 0 Tapioca. 1 0 0 5 5 0 1 5 0 Oatmeal 5 0 0 5 13 0 0 13 0