THE COST OF LIVING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 88, 12 April 1912, Page 8

THE COST OF LIVING.

MUNICIPAL MILK. (Per Press AssomtiDJ j » Wellington, Apr-1 U. Interesting references to the cost ol living and the milk supply problem were made by the Hon. G. Laurenson (Minister for Laboir.'V *\ he i addressing the tinibu' workers' chput'.ltion to-day. The Minister quoted a publication by Mr Mcllwraith «bo took as a basis the period from 1890 to 1899, when the fluctuations in the prices of foodstuffs were less than usual. Mr Laurenson had held the opinion that the cost of living had increased enormously, but it appears that in that perjiod the increase was only 3 per cent. I The writer admitted the large rise in the prices of butter,

meat and bacon, but claimed a tremendous fall in the prices ef s-tigai, kerosene, tea, tapioca and rice, v.Lich balanced matters. He (Mr Laurenson) had written to the author and suggested that he should make calculations concerning the cost to a family. "Tho milk question," Mr Lauren son continued, "ought to be deal. with by municipalities. I know dam on thin ice now, but I am not afraid Tho farmer will tell you that if he can get sevenpence a gallon throughout the year he is getting a good price. If you take a city like Wellington, assuming the population to be 80,000, the consumption of milk would average a quarter of a pint per day. If the milk is sold at lOd per gallon there is 3d for distribution, which would give a very big revenue. Eight I or ten milk carts will go to each street under our competitive system—a silly one, I call it—but under a municipal system the cost of distributing would bo reduced by 73 per cent. I know the milk distributing fraternity will be up against me', but that doesn't matter."