Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1917. COST OF LIVING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume L, Issue 175, 3 November 1917, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1917. COST OF LIVING.

_ : —■ '—l • A UOOB deal of space has been devoted of late to the ijuestion of the cost of living. In reply to The Mail's invitation—the word is used in the sense of a recent explanation—several correspondents have expressed their views; but no great light has been shed on the perplexing question. We know- how 'hard present conditions are for many families, and it is a patriotic duty to do wfiatevcer is possible to lessen the burden. But it is also a duty to prevent as far as possible any person banging Li* head against -a brick wall. In other words, -what is required is clear thinking and honest dealing, in that there must be clear demarcation between unavoidable and avoidable increases in .prices. Our own opinion is tfiat there is not much hope of a reduction in prices while present conditions prevail. We know this is an unpopular opinion, but we cannot help that. The Board of Trade and the Parliamentary 'Committee on the -Cost of Living could find no exploitation in New Zealand. A man would have a stroog nerve to rob' the people, especially in these times of trouble, even if he had no personal objections to thieving. If. any one knows of ' instances of exploitation it is his duty to furnish particulars to the Government or the Board of Trade for inquiry. The Prime Minister has repeatedly asked complainants to give him instances for investigation, but up to his last public statement on the matter, not one case had been sent to him. The great fact is that national unity is essential for successful war effort ■ trf tHe ; people. How can that unitv_exist if a- few people continually have their hands in the pockets of the public, and again, how can that unity exist J if-unfounded statements concerning exploitation are always being made; So_far as prices are concerned, it is necessary to .-remember that there are two classes of goods to consider. (1) Imported goods. (2) Local productions, mainly agricultural produce. The price of the former class of articles is decided: by manufacturers', prices and' shipping charges. The Board of I Trade knows the landed cost and the price at which the goods are retailed : to the public.. Any unfair profits hero, now" "that" old stocks have been cleaTed, can be fairly easily detected. In tha second class, mainly food produced in New Zealand, the issue is not so simple. Tlie "price is determined' by; what Great Britain'is prepared to pay for_ the produce. In ordinarv times, this is tinprice ruling ori- the London market; bu' now it'is the price arranged betweer the British' and New Zealand 1 Government's. In. two years, the price agreed upon amounted to about £8,000,000 les? than what would have been received "by New Zealand! producers, if )the pro ducts had been sold' a't, the market price —the price several other countries received for exactly the same kind of products. But the price agreed upon ■was considerably in advance of pre-war rates, and it is questionable whether Britain would have allowed the ships to come this distance for the goods if art, agreement had not been arrived' at. Taking Zealand as a whole, the country would' soon have been in queer way, if it had had to purchase its requirements at war prices and sell its •produce at pre-war rates. If prices of necessaries produced iu this country art" t.o be reduced, they must be sold 1 less prices here than to 'Great Britain. The Parliamentary ■ Committee set* • tip' the other day came to a most perplexing difficulty here. It had no practicable scheme to offer, and the matter remains as before. It did' put forward come recommendations about making up losses from the Consolidated revenue but on the matter being referred back to it for further consideration, no better arrangement could be made. This is the" hardest part of the whole position so far as the/ general public is concerned. A few people are receiving increased prices and greater profits, and others find the purchasing power of part of their money less by _reason of these higher prices. But this money 'which comes into the country _in payment freexports is the fountain-head of whole prosperity, and must maintained if the war burden (a million a fortnight) is to be carried without 1 undue strain. W e are not unmindful of the hardships that are being borne by families, especially large ones with sma)' incomes. A.s we have stated befois, the State, while keeping an ever-watch ful eve for exploitation, make a straightout "grant assist large families -of small means, and see that the lower rates of wages are raised.■