WAGES AND BUYING POWER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22226, 28 September 1935, Page 17

WAGES AND BUYING POWER

Sir, —Mr. E. Earle Vaile is one of those who use their brains and if they who disagree with his letters would only do the like, surely they would see that high wages and cheap living do not go together. Many months ago when tho first large wool cheque came out here, a friend met me in very jubilant spirits, but ho seemed almost hurt when I disagreed with him, saying that it would only be used as an excuse for putting prices up. Let me ask C.H.N., G. Henry and others like them, whether my forebodings have como true or not. Butter, milk, fuel, meat—hero are one or two necessities which cost moro now than they did not very long ago. How often during the depression did this legend appear in a shop " to meet the times." Retailers knew that the public had not the money to spend and were content to make lower profits, but now that cuts are being restored, up go the prices, which is a self-evident fact to those who use their eyes. When I was an engineering cadet, we young fellows on the look-out for jobs when our apprenticeships were over, were greatly attracted by advertisements for assistants in South Africa. In England, salaries were about £l5O per annum; out there they ran to £400., but in those days one paid 2s 6d for a cabbage in South Africa, so where were your high wages? It is very nice, no doubt, to have a high standard of living, but you cannot have it and cheap food. Ex-Civil Engineer.