New Zealanders Discover Australian Living Costs Are Appreciably Higher

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26781, 26 May 1948, Page 5

New Zealanders Discover Australian Living Costs Are Appreciably Higher

From C. R. Mentiplay, N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent. Rec. 9.30 p.m. SYDNEY, May 25. The statement by Mr W. Sullivan, M.P: for Bay of Plenty, that in his opinion New Zealand was a much more expensive country to live in than Australia has caused some indignation among New Zealanders living in the Commonwealth. “It is plain that Mr Sullivan had a pleasant time in his spare moments window shopping,” said one housewife, formerly of Auckland, on reading the cabled account of v Mr Sullivan’s speech at Opotiki. “He and Mrs Sullivan would not have been so happy had they bought and tried to wedr some of the bargain clothing they saw displayed.” The New Zealanders interviewed here all differed with Mr Sullivan on the price of "good quality shirts of local manufacture,” which he said were obtainable at 10s to 18s each. “You are lucky if you obtain a shirt which is wearable at 22s 6d,” said one man, “ and you are more likely to settle for one 10s dearer which has a reasonable chance of looking like a shirt for some time.”

The average lowest price of shirts worn by a group of New Zealanders in various occupations was 2f>s to 27s 6d. All were scornful of the efficiency of .window shopping, and many admitted to experiencing the same feelings as Mr Sullivan when first they arrived in Australia. They were soon disillusioned when they went inside the shop and closely examined articles which looked so well in the windows. The general opinion is that, though Australians provide each year £30,000,000 in direct taxation so that the retail prices of tea, milk, potatoes, cotton, wool and other necessities might be eased, the cost of living in Australia is appreciably higher than in New Zealand. City dwellers, who represent over half the Australian population, never see the * cheap” fruit mentioned by M'r Sullivan. Pineapples sell at Is 6d, not 8d each, and when sold on the poundage basis, average 6d to 8d a lb, complete with bushy top. “ I am puzzled to know where Mr Sullivan got his figures to prove that building costs in Australia are 20 to 30 per cent, below those in New Zealand,” said one New Zealander, who has just had a house built. “My brick house cost £2OO for 100 square feet —a price which was approved by the Treasury. The Master Builders’ Association declares that the recent statement by the Government that building costs have risen 100 per cent, in the past eight years errs on the conservative side. You could not build a wooden house, let alone a brick one. at Mr Sullivan’s figures of £133 for 100 square feet.” When asked about the relative costs of building materials, he replied: ” I notice Mr Sullivan gave Queensland figures. He might have picked something more representative. Corrugated iron? You will remember that hundreds of old houses in Sydney had their roofs torn to bits by giant hailstones 18 months ago. Well, some of them are still waiting' for iron.” Mr Sullivan’s comparisons on the respective living costs in Australia and New Zealand were made on his return from the Commonwealth after a visit of several weeks. Mr Sullivan referred specifically to clothing, groceries, fruit and building costs, prefacing his remarks: “ The myth of lower prices in New Zealand is soon exploded when one looks at prices in Sydnev shops. As far as I could judge/the general price level in New Zealand is 20 to 30 per cent, higher than in Australia.”