PRICES COMPARED.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 20 April 1912, Page 7

PRICES COMPARED.

It is often said that it is cheaper to live in England than in the colonies. The London correspondent of the "Sydney Daily Telegraph" tries to show that this is a mistaken, idea, that, on the whole living is cheaper in Sydney than in Loudon. One pays less' for rent, clothing, and furniture at Home,' but-food.', especially meat, is cheaper in the colonies, and taking all lines of expenditure into consideration, the correspondent thinks that the difference is from 5 to 10 percent in favour of..Sydney .compared, with London. For instance, beef varies from to 7d in Sydney, and -from ; 8d to Is 3d in London. A leg 6f'mutton that can be bought for 4£d in Sydney, costs 7id or lOd in London. Bacon . however, is chenner at Home, .and "there is. not much difference between the two prices of riork. The conclusion that a sovereign purchases more in- Australia than, in England mav seem startling, in view of the fact that wages are so-much higher in Australia, but .the correspondent points out that the standard of living must be considered. In England neither the working man, nor the-middle-class man, with .an income, of ±I2OO. to £SOO. lives so well a,s .his....cousin in Australia. The working classes eat less,; and. waste lees, and their food is lower', in finality. For instance, fresh meat for breakfast is, .\trnost unknown- in working class or mid-'die-class families in England, and. bacon and e gß s are regarded as extravagant. While the Englishman of . moderate means will make his lunch.in.town the nrincipal meal of the day, the Australian will have both lunch and'a hot dinner. As regards fruit, the Englishman is better off than some colonials might think. Oranges and bananas,.are actually cheaper m London than in Sydnev. and .strawberries go as low as 2d and 3d a lb. The correspondent says that his conclus'ons are suppprted by the experience of English people who have *"one to Australia