THE COST OF LIVING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17729, 13 September 1919, Page 6

THE COST OF LIVING

HOW PRICES MOUNT. EVIDENCE OF PROFITEERING. Daseossing the cost of living m the case of tho shop claim for a new award, M r Court iu Christchurch, iw *1. ( for tho union) argued * f discontent of tho assistants was intensified by the gradual increase made Jf ~ P n ces of goods. There was no proportjonat© nso in wages. Ho know of tiuf wajen cost 7|d a yard landing prioo. and wa.3 first sold at Is Hid j«'r yard, and only Tcoently tho staff was sot to work to alter that price to 2s 6d a yard. He r* 18 aware of an instance whero a WTO had a lino of gloves for sal c at. ?/• lid to 4s lid, and subsequently ruisod tn<»o to 12s 6d per pair. In ono shcr> ho visited in the morning there was somo material marked up at 9s 6d per yard and on.going along in, th c aftcracxin tlio same stuff was marked 19s 6d per yard. Mr Justico Stringer why Mr Martin did not acquaint tho Board of Tracks with these matters. Mr Martin said that he would not get much encouragement from tho Board of Trado. His Honor said that Mr Martin could prosccuto th© offending firms himself. tMr Martin saicl that ho had not considered' that, but in any oaso when the employees thf«o things happening it did not reconcilo them to on enduring tho high -cost of living without compensation m thp form of increased wages. Later. Mr F. Cooper (for the employers) pointed out that employers wero losing now what they had gained in tho early stages of the war, because thero were somo lines m which prices had fallen, and employers had to sell la.rgo stocks at reduced priccs though they had purchased at high war prices. Matters wero thus equalised. ENHANCED PRICE FOR COFFEE. A Christchurch wholesale firm has notified retailers that, owing to the continued higher cost of raw coffee, which lin.. 1 } advanced from £150 to. £240 per ton during tho past month, it has lSoen compelled to increase tho price of pure coffoe by 3d per lb and blended by 2d per lb. An authority on tho subject says that tho failure of tho Brazilian crop was tho principal reason for the existing conditions of tho coffee market. Eight or 10 months ago advice was receivcd that a severe frost in Brazil—an unprecedented occurrence^—had destroyed tho crop on half tho trees. As Brazil supplies nine-tenths of the world's production of conee, this'was a very serious matter. On top of this there was a great deficiency in Germany and Central Europe to be filled up. Somo American exploiters had also eot busy and "cornered" supplies 12 months a o<s- Tho price was £84 per ton, freight and other charges increasing the amount to about £110 per ton, four months ago £125 per ton, threo mouths ago £140, and two jnonths ago the quotation was £160; now, including freight, etc.. it was £240. The price of Indian and Island coffee has risen in sympathy with Brazilian. A factor in tho price for Indian coffeo is tho appreciation of tho rupee. "We have only five months' supplies _in hand," says the merchant, "and even higher prices may liav c to bo paid for new consignments. It is doubtful whether people will buy coffeo at the enhanced prices."