COST OF LIVING

Southland Times, Issue 18932, 4 May 1923, Page 4

COST OF LIVING

INCREASE IN MARCH (Special to the Times.) WELLINGTON, May 3. On the subject of retail prices in New Zealand, the latest issue of the monthly abstract of statistics states:—“The index number for the three food groups as at March 15 is 152, an increase of 18 pointa over that for the previous month and an increase of 41.31 per cent over that for July, 1914. Very little movement haa been recorded in the groceries group, the fall of three points being due mainly to a fall in the price of potatoes in several towns. The considerable and all-round increases in the prices of butter and eggs have caused a rise of 82 points in the dairy products group. Meat prices have remained practically stationary, a difference of only one point being recorded in the index numbers for February and March.” When the food, rent, and fuel and light

groups for the March quarter, 1923, are taken together, the index numbers for them for the four main centres of population compare as follow:—Wellington, 1537, Auckland 1490, Christchurch 1556, Dune* din 1442.