LIVING IN WAR-TIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16995, 31 October 1918, Page 6

LIVING IN WAR-TIME.

[BY TELEGRAX'H.-SPSCMI, COKBISrOKDFNfr.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. " The increase in prices, from which we *?> suffering are world-wide," stated the Hon. G. W. Russell in the House of Representatives to-night, when replying to criticism by Labour members. "Tho following official figures, which reached me: yesterday, show tho increase in the cost of living since the outbreak of war in various parte of the world Australia. » , jß^ A 3l per cent - '' New.Zealand ?5&" IS 18 39 per cent -- : America April, 1918, 60 per cent.; Japan, July, 1917; 6$ per cent, ; Canada, July, 1918, 75 par cent.; Netherlands, July, 1917, 81 per cent.; Italy, 88 per cent.; Franco, Janu- ;\ I 7\ 191 «, , „ 9 1P er cent, Switzerland, March, 1918, 96 per cent.; United Kingdom, July 1918, 110 per cent, ; Germany, October, 1916, 109 per cent, Austria, August, 1917, 173 per cent.; Sweden, April, 1918, 147 per cent.; Norway, March, 1918, 195 per cent. "I ask members to bear in mind that, considering the upheaval in trade and economio conditions, we cannoi expect to escape one of tho certain and inevitable effects of war by holding down prices to normal level." How could it bo expected, he added,' that pricos here would bo kept down when all the other markets of the world had risen. The member for Grey had read a number of figures in relation to war exports, figures which were unquestionable, coming as they did from the secret supplementary abstract issued by the Government. " These trade figures are issued confidentially by the instructions of the Imperial Government," he said, " and the document is issued only to those heads of the Department whose business relates to the exports of the counter and also to the Imperial Government for Imperial purposes. This abstract is made secret with a view to preventing the enemy learning what trade is being done." . .