COST OF LIVING

Southland Times, Issue 19396, 10 November 1924, Page 9

COST OF LIVING

FALL IN SIX MONTHS. RENTS PROVE AN EXCEPTION. In the six months 'ended on August 31 last, the cost of living, according to official figures, has declined. The index numbers for the three food groups as at September 15 is 1551, a fall of 14 points as compared with that for August, and an increase of 44.95 points over July, 1914, states the Government Statistician in his latest report. Very little movement has been recorded in prices in the groceries group. A fall in the dairy products group has been caused by a considerable fall in the price of milk, in two of the chief cities, together with a fall in the price of eggs in all towns. The combined result of these decreases was a fall of 69 points in the index number, A rise of six points in the meat group has been caused by a number of small increases in several items in some towns. The index number for all groups combined, i.e., food, rent, fuel and light, clothing and footwear, and miscellaneous, for August, has fallen 19 points between February and August of this year. Food prices have fallen during the period, the index number falling from 1486 in February to 1463 in August, a fall of 23 pointe. Clothing, drapery, and footwear prices fell considerably in the period, while a lesser fall occurred in the miscellaneous group. However, the result of these decreases has to a large extent been offset by a rise in rents of 48 points, rents having increased rapidly in the last four or five sixmonthly periods. The percentage decrease for the six months was: —Food, 1.55 per cent; fuel and light, 4.72 per cent; drapery and footwear, 2.65 per cent; and miscellaneous, 3.59 per cent, ’fire increase in the rent group amounted to 3.39 per cent, making a nett fall for the six months in the “all groups” of 1.17 per cent.