COST OF FOOD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18947, 22 August 1923, Page 8

COST OF FOOD.

RISING IN AUSTRALIA. x Food prices are higher to-day in Australia than they were last year, instead of being lower, as was confidently expected. The Commonwealth Statistician, taking no account of clothing, fuel, rents, and other things going towards making up the cost of living, reports that so far as at any rate, is concerned, the cost of living of a normal family in that State rose by 6s per week during the June quarter, as compared with the first quarter of the year. This is a very conservative estimate. But even so, it means a virtual reduction of Is per day in the wages of every worker in the community. To the thousands of unfortunate folk who live perennially on the bread line it means absolute personal sacrifice. The Leader remarks that this means that the food supply must be cut down; men, women, and children must suffer m a way that is inconceivable to the wealthy, and inevitably the health of a large section of the community suffers, whilst the spirit of discontent is fostered and encouraged. In the past 12 months there has been an enormous increase in the price of the staple foodstuffs of the people. The Commonwealth Statistician’s figures do not show the full magnitude of the increase, but none the less they serve to show ’’that the cost of living has been steadily mounting all the time. According to the statistician, the average prices of the principal foodstuffs in. Melbourne in June, 1922, and in June, 1923, w r ere as follow:

These figures show that, on the admission of the retailers themselves, the cost of food has advanced enormously since June last year. Many householders will say that the cost has advanced a great deal more than is indicated by the table. That is strictly true. For instance, how many people in Melbourne buy bread at 5d per 2ib loaf? Where can rump steak be obtained in the majority of the suburbs at Is 4d per lb? And is Is per lb the usual price paid for loin chops in these days? On none of these questions will the public’s answer and that of the retailer agree.

Jum 1922. k 1923. s. d. \s. d. Bread, per 21b loaf ... ... 0 5 0 5 Flour, per 251b ' 4 9 4 3 Tea, per lb 1 n 1 m Sugar, per lb 0 6 0 5 Sairo, per lb 0 3J 0 41 Oatmeal, per lb 0 3 0 31 Potatoes, per 141b 0 11 1 81 Milk, per qbart 0 n 0 53 Butter, per lb 1 ii 2 31 Cheese, per lb 1 33 1 53 Efegs, per dozen 2 e* 3 01 Beef, sirloin, per lb 0 8* 0 111 Beef, rib, per lb 0 61 0 93 Beef, flank, 1 per lb 0 Si 0 7 Beef, shin, per lb 0 4 0 6 Steak, rumn, per lb 1 2 1 41 Steak, shoulder, per lb ... 0 7 0 Steak, stewing', per lb ... 0 51 0 7 Corner brisket, per lb ••• 0 31 0 7 Mutton, leg, per lb 0 VI 1 0 Mutton, shoulder, per lb 0 43 0 9 Mutton, loin, per lb 0 610 11 Chons, loin, per lb 0 8 1 0 Chops, leg, per lb 0 8i 1 03