HIGHER STANDARD OF LIVING

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 24, Issue 16, 28 February 1913, Page 2

HIGHER STANDARD OF LIVING

Wd constantly hear 'lff lisjeriLflmade that the cost oi every Hung has gone up, and I believe that many people are satisfied that such is ihe case. I have in my possession store pass hooks which show lire pii„e3 actually charged me and others ifl 1877, 1394, and 1897, ami lh.: Cur-, rent retail price list of a premia fit firm and the prices v, orb out as follows for the articles named, viz-

A careful study of this table wilt show that, compared with forty years ago, prices are now much, lower, while for the later date lh? jad.anlago is still decidedly in favour-of ihe latest price li t. Adding the items together for each period we find that in 1877 a matt buying one of each would pay 34/3,| An 1894 he would pay 17/01, in 1897| 21/I|, and in 1911 20/0?. One wonders how the family man got on in 1877. Wages were not nearly as high, as now, yet the cost of living was 1 tlun 75 per cent, higher that it is now; bread, butter, candles, tea, sugar, and flour being at what we would now almost consider famine prices. i Another writer says It Is appa-, rent that Great Britain’s free trade, nolicy is of little ;use to her v. h n the demand for foodstuffs is greater than the supply. We have overlooked the fact that we have introduced European ideas as regards foodstuffs into the Orient, and-as Great Britain’s producing areas have not increased correspondingly, higher prices prevail in Great Britain. The correspondent’s list of prices pub li filed a few days ago is quite correct, but ho could have made a much stronger case if he had included tbofollowing items, that have been reduced quite 60 per cent. ; —Keroutn', salt, potatoes, onions, fruit, fish (fresh and preserved). Coal and gas are also much lower.

1877 1804 1897' 1911 Sugar (tb.) . 0/6 0/3 0/3 0/2} Raisins (lb.) . 0/8 0/7 0/7 0/5 Jam (lb.) . 0/10 0/5 0/5 0/4 Butter (tb.) . 1/6 0/14 0/11 1/2 Tea (lb.) 3/0 1/8, 1/8 1/6 Currants (tb.) . 0/6 0/5. 0/5 0/3 Cream of Tartar (tb.) .. . 2/8 1/4 1/4 1/0 Carbonate of Soda (tb.) 0/4 0/4 0/4 0/4 Candies (tb.) . 1/3 0/7 0/7 0/6 Beef (tb., average) .. 0/6 0/3} 0/3 h 0/5 Flour (100 tbt) . 22/0/ 10/0 14/0 13/0 Bread (loaf) ... 0/6. Q/3. 0/4 0/3 i