COST OF LIVING

Otago Witness, Issue 3336, 20 February 1918, Page 46

COST OF LIVING

WAR PRICES RISING. VALUE OF SOVEREIGN DOWN TO 14s 3£d. That war prices are still rising, and thehigh cost of living is going still higher, is clearly shown by the January issue of tho New Zealand Abstract of Statistics, just to hand (says the New Zealand Times). A table giving the relative worth of the sovereign, or its purchasing power in terms of certain "bread and butter" commodities, taking the average "worth" in the years 1909-13 as the base (20s), shows that by December, 1915, tho sovereign had shrunk to 16s 2|d; by December, 1916, it had still further shrunk to 15s 3d; and by December, 1917, it had fallen as lpw as 14s 3Jd. The gradual shrinkage of the sovereign throughout 1917 is shown by the following table: b. d. March, IAI7 14 0J June,' 1917 14 81 September, 1917 14 72 December, 1917 14 3J Putting it another way, while during 1914, on tho average in tho four chief centres, 21s ll£d was required to buy the food that from 1909-13 could have been bought on the average for 20s; ; n 1915 it would have taken 233 lid to buy the same quantity of food; in 1916, it would have taken 253 and in 1917, on tho average, 27s 2£d. The rise in prices towards the end of each year is shown by the fact that, whereas tho average cost of these foodstuffs in 1916 was 25s 4-jd, in December of that year the cost was 263 Oid; and, whereas the average cost in 1917 was 27s 2£d, in December last it had risen to 27s 10id. The comparative figures for tho four chief centres for the December quarter of 1916 and /the December quarter of 1917 are as under:— Dec. qr., Doc. qr., 1016. 1917. s. d. 8. d. Auckland 26 5 28 5J Wellington 26 3J 28 8J Christchurch 26 11J 27 2 Dunedin ... 25 4J 27 2J ' WORKERS' WEEKLY BUDGETS. The following table shows that since July, 1914, the cost of living to an average working class family has, on the" basis of an assumed weekly household consumption of certain foodstuffs, increased by 33.05 per cent., or practically one-third. The prices aro based on the average of the four chief centres: Groceries. Average Cost. July, Dec,

Grand totals 10 8J 26 3 J Increase per cent. ... INCREASES OVER JULY, 1914. The percentages of increase in prices over those of July, 1914, in each of the three food groups and in the four food groups combined, together with the dominion weighted average, are shown in the tables given below :

It will be noticed that the Government Statistician takes- no account of the advance in prices of boots and shoes, cotton therad, household utensils, and many other articles which may be regarded 'as essential for living in a civilised state.

1914. 1917. 6. d. 6. d. Bread, 7 21b loaves .. 2 2i 2 9J Flour, 31b .. 0 4i 0 6J Oatmeal, lib ..0 2 0 3 Eioe, lib .. 0 2J 0 2J Tea, i-lb .. 0 9J 0 11 Cocoa, Alb .. 0 51 0 6 Sugar, 31b .. 0 6 0 8J Jam, 21b ... .. 0 11 1 2 Eaisins, Jib .. 0 2| 0 4 Potatoes, 141b .. 0 9J 1 14 Totals .. G 7i 8 71 Increase per cent. 30. GO Dairy Produce. Milk, 7pts .. 1 23 1 5 Butter, 31b .. 3 P-i ■ 4 H Cheese, Jib .. 0 2.J 0 3i Bacon, lib .. 0 114 1 5 Totals .. 5 11J 8 0J Increase per cent. Meat. Beef. 35.' a Sirloin, 31b .. 1 84 2 3 Stewing Steak, 21b .. 0 11J 1 3i Corned Eoll, lib -... .. 0 5i 0 74 Sausages, 21b Mutton.- .. 0- 9i 0101 Leg, 31b .. 1 5J 2 04 Shoulder, 21b .. 0 91 1 lj Chops, 21b .. 1 04 1 5 Totals ... ... ..72' 9 8 Increase per cent. — 34.88

Groceries. Dec. Deo. Dee. 1915. 1916. 1917. Auckland 16.38 29.47 34.17 Wellington 10.65 34.66 42.88 Christchurch ... . 16.83 21.89 22.75 Dunedin 25.94 37.48 21.99 Dominion weighted average 17.43 24.59 31.27 Dairy Produce. Auckland 13.69 28.57 35.81 Wellington 0.17* 13.60 22.87 Christchurch 10.55 25.78 22.17 Dunedin 4.47 17.12 28.93 Dominion weighted average 7.85 20.72 27.25 ♦Decrease. Meat Auckland 10.73 13.12 27.08 Wellington 15.23 18.90 33.58 Christchurch ... . 30.37 29.44 42.43 Dunedin 32.01 25.47 43.09 Dominion weighted average 20.60 24.07 37.03 Three Pood Groups. 13.57 22.84 32.11 Wellington ... . 11.91 23.92 34.33 Christchurch ... . 20.11 25.36 29.46 Dunedin 22.93 28.50 31.00 Dominion weighted average 16.36 25.23 32.44