PUBLIC OPINION COST OF LIVING

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8784, 14 July 1914, Page 10

PUBLIC OPINION

COST OF LIVING

To the Editor “N.Z. Times.” Sir, —Diogenes may have considered the subject of his letter from tho exporters' point of view, but wo aro not all exporters. If the retailers were making anything like the profits Diogenes assigns to them, the retailing business would soon be overstocked. Export produce must pay for cool storage, handling, wharfage, loading, and refrigerated freight for i 6,000 miles at this end, at the other end unloading wharfage and cool storage, and last, but not least, commission on sales. After all these charges are added the retailors in the Old Country can make a fair profit by selling New Zealand produce cheaper than it can he purchased in New Zealand. No, sir, the real cause is .the action of our mer-chant-princes in. conjunction with our “land lords,” to force into their respective banking accounts every little increase that is fought for and temporarily won by the workers. A system advocated by a previous writer in your paper, was, in effect, that all exporters be compelled to nave a retail business or accredited agency in all important centres that would retail Now Zealand produce of such exporters at a charge not in excess of the wholesale selling price in European markets, which system is heartily endorsed \y . QUO FATA VOC ANT-