LIVING IN BRITAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17456, 28 April 1920, Page 9

LIVING IN BRITAIN.

PRICES STILL SOARING.

THE HOUSEWIFE'S ■ BURDEN.

HUGE RISE IN RENTALS. ' {from OUE OWN CORRESPONDENT.] LONDON, February 12. It is the view of the Food Controller that until production is such that we are able to send to America vastly more than we are doing to-day high prices of food will be maintained. The only things which will remedy the adverse exchange and the high cost of living are: Much greater production, reduction of expenditure, and strict economy on the part of everyone in this country. "It is to my mind a scandal," said M '. W. Leaf, chairman of the London County and Westminster Bank, "that, when everyone should be earnestly doing his best to put the national balance-sheet straight, we should during 1919 have imported no less than £25,695,000 of foreign wines and spirits. It is an increase over 1918 of sixteen and a-half millions a dead loss. It would not be an over estinte ' .I . think, to -sy that of the gap of 150 millions or so, which last year represented our addition to foreign indebtedness, at least one-third, perhaps a-half, might have been saved if we had been content to live in comfort and eschew mere -vulgar ostentation." The price and limited quantities of sugar are affecting other commodities, in, tho first instance condensed milk. It is alleged against the Ministry of Food and the Sugar Commission that they showed lack of foresight in not purchasing far enough ahead. Now the Cuban growers are standing firm, having had considerable competition for their supplies- The Government's plan is'to stand aloof with the targe orders to fetch prices down. In the meantime the British public gets less sugar —six ounces per head per week—and pavs more for it. One brand of sweetened con-! densed milk has gone up lid a tin to the trade, and that lid will, of course, be ; borne by the consumer. This firm is paving the late controlled prices to the farmers. Golden syrup and honey also ■will be higher in price owing to the" sugar situation. Dearer Pleasure. Not only do Londoners nay more for food, clothing, furniture and" other needs of daily life, but when the summer comes 1 they will most likely have to pay more for j their outdoor recreations. j

It is also announced that at least fourteen of the West End theatres have intimated their willingness to support the scheme for increasing the price of theatre seats. Most of them are at present offering musical comedy or revue, and the increases suggested axe 2s for stalls, Is 6d for the dress circle, and Is for the upper circle.

Mr. E. LaurUlard says that before the war it was easily possible to produce a musical play for between £4000 and £5000. Now it was quite impossible to produce without a capital outlay of at least £10,000, while tie weekly" running expenses were in the neighbourhood of £1900, compared with £1200 before the war. The average salary of the betterknown artists was anything from £200 to ! £300 a weeka very different state of affairs from the old days. The cost of dresses had gone up by 250 per cent. It is quite impossible to get a dress for less than 25 guineas, while 40 to 50 guineas is often paid, and recently £80. The average life of a dress on the stage with careful use was six months. Before the War and Now. Qjcoa is to rice in price almost immediately. Manufacturers have"declared.thal. with raw materials costing half as much again, -wages higher, and tins for packing and all other articles, they need enormously dearer, they can no longer deal at present rates without loss. Jam and some popular kinds of fish also are likely to rise in price very soon. Following are the prices of some essential foodstuffs to-day compared with the rates before the war: —

Biscuits, already usually double pre-war prices, have for certain kinds jumped up .a further 6d to 8d per pound to meet hieher prices of" ingredients and production. Bise in City Rentals. Immense* increases are taking place in the rentals of city offices, and in some cases amounts paid have risen threefold in a few years. A correspondent writes:—" Some homeseekers have been stampeded into paying high premiums. One man paid a £600 premium to rent a flat of five rooms let at £90 a year before the war. These predatory operations, of course, arc due to the fact that Parliament., largely composed of owners and their lawyers, has neglected to protect tenants of houses or flats of a higher rental or ratable value in London than £70 a year." " We have been tenants in a building for 36years," writes a London firm, "arid until October, 1918, our rent was £145 a" year for five rooms on the third floor of an old building. Our rent is now about £550." The other day a £1000 premium was asked for possession of a West. End flat, the rental of which is £700 per annum.

3014. 1920. ? d s d Marmalade, lib ..05 10 Tea. lib .. .. 1 10 3 0 Cocoa, lib . . ..2 5 3 2 Bread, 41b .. ..05 0 9{ Eggs, each . . ..02 0 55 Bacon (back), lb ..14 26 Rump Steak, lb ..14 24 Batter (imptd.). lb. . 1 2 2 8 Margarine (best), lb. . 0 8 18 Cheese, lb . . .. 0 10 18 Lard, lb. . . . ..07 20 Gran, sugar, lb ..031 0 8Suet, lb 0 6 14 Potato lb .. ..005 0 15 Cabbages, each . . ..02 06