THE COST OF LIVING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14819, 24 October 1911, Page 5

THE COST OF LIVING.

Sir,—During the elections much' will .b« said' about the increased cost of living. A good guidance on this important subject can. bo found in a report on the causes of this increase by a commission appointed by the U.S.A. Congress, and also by an essay on the same subject by Mr. George Parish, joint editor of the Statist. Both are published in the Daily Mail Year Book for 1911. These papers prove how misleading are the* extravagant statements of anient demagoues that stir up strife, excite discontent, heal no trouble, for the remedies they propose are impractical. I am not an authority on this subject, and only note some of the causes mentioned in these papers that apply to ourselves, for which the remedy is visible to any commonsense mind. One cause o! the increase in the cosh of living is , the increase of town dwellers from the country. There are more food consumers than food producers. This undue balance the HeralV. has tried hard to adjust by persistently-ad-vocating an ; active and. liberal land policy that will conduce to the general welfare, and reduce the cost of living. Any tenure with the freehold for the' ultimate, for ownership tends to the best results, and was the tenure under a theocratic rule. Another cause is the higher standard of living. Old colonists will remember • the T blue 'sorgo jumper, the moleskin pants, the shedifices, the m,->'-'-shift furniture, and the cheap and simple " 'asures of 50 years- ago. From these there has been continuous progression to the present stylish houses, replete with conveniences, to better furniture, more costly clothing, while sports and pleasures are more expensive. Another cause is higher values in land. In the highways this has been great, but not so much in the byways, where are the dwellings. .forty years ago allotments were about half the present prices, but interest, was twice as much then, so that the annual cost then and now was about six per cent. Higher values in Crown land is a result from higher prices for produce exported. Surely this is well. Another cause is combines " and monopolies. Like begets like, combines of employees lead to combines of employers, to enrnitv instead off unity. By this both parties have suffered, and the trade unionists are disappointed, but do not yet see that their own betterment as bound up in the general welfare, that in the body politic "the hand cannot say to the eye I have no need of thee," that every member of the body is of use to every other • member. Men acting wisely and justly for all are better lawmakers than those who arc only the voices of a. class caucus. ' ■■ ■- Edwin Cabb.