COST OF LIVING

Otago Witness, Issue 3293, 25 April 1917, Page 42

COST OF LIVING

RETAIL PRICES STILL GOING UP. So far as the three food groups—groceries, dairy produce, arid meat —are concerned, the war increases in the cost of living are clearly shown by the following tables from the March issue of the Labour Journal. The first table gives the percentages for the four chief cities in the retail prices for groceries ruling for February, 1915, 1916, and 1917, over the prices ruling on July 31, 1914. The second table gives similar information in regard to dairy produce, and the third in regard to meat: —

GROCERIES. .,. Feb., Feb., Feb., 1015. 1916. 1917. Auckland 17.S8 18.18 22.98 Wellington Christcliurch 19.75 15.87 21.00 15.77 31.56 21.99 Dunedin 22.98 19.23 29.88 Dominion weighted average 18.20 17.52 25.56 DAIRY PRODUCE. Auckland .. 5.53 20.93 32.14 Wellington »4.64 1.63 16.77 Christcliurch 5.47 13.96 27.54 Dunedin 1.77 9.02 20.28 Dominion wc 'ighted average 4.26 * Decrease. MEAT. 12.02 23.65 Auckland 1.27 10.25 19.7» Wellington 7.98 15.69 21.93 Christohurch 10.87 19.81 29.63 Dunedin 12.03 lighted average 7.82 20.74 28.69 Dominion w< 17.03 27.35 For the th ree food groups combined the ; percentage increase: 3 are as under:— Auckland ' 9.08 15.69 23.67 Wellington 9-6Q 14.31 24.56 Christohurch 11.63 16.78 25.93 Dunedin 14.20 17.37 27.26 Dominion Wt lighted average 12.62 16.17 25.79