COST OF LIVING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17084, 16 August 1917, Page 5

COST OF LIVING

STATE AND MUNICIPAL MEAT SHOPS. COMING LEGISLATION. (From Our Own Correspondent ) nn WELLINGTON, August 15. _ lhe cost-of-living question bulked largely m the House of Representatives this afternoon. It arose through Mr Isitt asking tho Government whether there was any probabiljty of tho Christ church City Council being able to establish meat shops on tho lines of the Government shops in Auckland. The Hon. G. W. Russell said there was no power under the law at present for municipal corporations to establish meat i?hops. Those in Auckland, he believed, were under the direct control of the GoTmn monfc - White tho Cost of Living Act, 1915, gave extensive powers to municipalities, tho power had been withheld, or not ?r Ve ?' if rnun j c 'P ;l htics to run meat shops, lie had had a letter from the Christchurch city Council with regard to this question, and other municipal corporations were also seeking powers in regard to reducing tho cost of living. One request had come from iretone to sell firewood. He had given instructions for a Bill to be drafted extending the powe re of municipal corporations for tho establishment of meat shops and in any other direction for reducing the cost of living. He hoped to bring the Bill before the House at the earliest possible moment, iho Prime Minister announced that tho 2? . Trade was going to Christchurch within a day or two with the object of looking -into the question of the price of meat in that city and establishing at least one ineat shop there if sufficient enoouragement ottered and - the necessity for such shop existed.

Field asked whether it was correct that the State meat shops in Auckland V> '™° ® e r lh ug meat at a big financial loss. Mr Massey stated that up to the present— and he thought it was likely to continue— the meat shops in Aubkland had been a great financial success. In reply to Mr Payne, Mr Russell said ho .bad no objection to inserting in the Bill a provision enabling municipalities to establish milk farms; in fact, ho warmly approved of the idea.

Mr Walker complained that Dunedin and Christchurch members of tho House had not been appointed to the Cost of Living Committee and the labour members were not represented on it. .Mr Jennings claimed that the back-blocks districts should be represented on the committee.

Mr Payne said he considered that the subject was of sufficient importance to' warrant tho whole House being appointed as the committee.

The Prime Minister stated that he w;as anxious to sclect those men giving most attention to the question. In reply to Mr Walker, ho pointed out that Mr Sidey represented Dunedin. He did not know whether Mr Sidey would call himself a Labour member, but he was certain he represented Labour as much as any member of the House.—(" Hear hear.") Mr Statham also represented Dunedin. Timaru was_ particularly well represented. by Mr , ra l£ ie : With regard to the representation of Christchurch, he would look into the matter and seo what could be done. A - deputation of members had waited upon him that morning and asked that Messrs Hudson and Glover be added to the committee. He had given the deputation a favourable reply, and he was quite willing, if the House agreed, to carry out the request. On Mr Massey's motion Messrs Hudson and Glover were added to the committee.