THE COST TO LIVE

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 5854, 29 September 1917, Page 6

THE COST TO LIVE

AN INTERESTING COMIjRISON. Some interesting gener,ajremar ks on the question of the cost If living are made l in the Board of Tide s l'epoirt, which lias, been pielnted to Parliament. It is stated in he report that practically every item oj expendi_ ture of the household has [een substantially increased, and diring the la-bar part of the war perod inferiorquality goods have, perhaps' replacto some extent superior ai'tich' 1 ' similar kind, and frequently e creased cost. The compa-j"' ,stics H e " from the latest avai!ah^ s tliel Ijasistween July, 1914 31st March--100). anid wher*-® ' <lr some of tlie 1917. The -pared relate to various

countries*— As prices in -all councarli«re moving upwards this diftfihce in date is important, and should be borne in mind when making comparisons between one country and another. The following table shows the percentage of increase in the “cost of living,” as defined above since Juiv. 1914:

“'With regard to the figures for Berlin an/d Vienna,” says the report, “it must be borne in mind that these nd longer afford any indication as to the state *i: supplies, and, being based on artificially fixed maximum prices, are not comparable with figures which are mainly based on prices in a free market. All the -figures used in the calculation for Berlin and most of

those for Vienna relate to commodities the consumption of wltich is strictly cnntrolldd by a system of rationing.

“In regard to Australia and New Zealand, it must also lx- remembered that the prices of the main exports—viz., cheese, meat, wool, and by-pro-ducts—have in the main been deter - n inec! by a system of' purchases arranged between the Imperial Government ami the Nww Zealand Government respectively, and full market values have not been received, but the prices so at ranged have necessarily l>een the basis o values within the Dominion and the Commonwealth. This i- undoubtedly on- of the reasons why the percentage* increase in prices in these countries i- relatively low . anil why the antipodean consumer is s.o much mow favourably situat. ed than the consumer in Gnat Britain. In regard po butter, which was not the subject of negotiation* between the respective Governments, the Boartl of Trade scheme for the regulation of pri/e resulted in the New Zealand consumer being saved from 4d to oil per pound on every pound consumed over part <» c the jreriod included in the oalculation.”

Austria January, 1917 171.7 Germany . . • January, 1917 110.5 United Kingdom March. 1917 9-4 Norwav .... November, 191 6 S4 Holland . . . . . March, 1917 70 Sweden . . . February. 1917 OG United States .. March. 1917 31 Canada .... . . March. 1917 44 Australia .. March. 1917 25.6 Xmv Zealand .. March. 1917 25.79