COST OF LIVING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14523, 19 August 1911, Page 6

COST OF LIVING.

A DEPARTMENTAL ENQUIRY. Efforts were inado by the Department of Labour during tho past year to obtain some reliable statistics on the interesting question of the cost of living. Following the lead given by the Conimonw-ealtb au inquiry on a smaller but similar scale was instituted in tl» Dominion, and the methods of supplying booklets in which • workers could knop an account or household expenses was followed with certain modifications. The inquiry was limited to the chief towns of Now Zealand, 700 books beins sent to each of the departs ] ment's officers in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dmiedin, who in turn sought tire co-operation, of unionists aud workers of all clashes for the purpose of keeping a correct tally of income and expenditure for tho twelve mouths commencing from o:tober Ist, 1910, to September 31st, 11)11, inclusive. Full publicity was given to the fact that the dctrartment was seeking this record, and the co-opera-tion of the public,concerned was asked so as to bring the matter to a suivcssful issue. The whole of the 700 books were not fully distributed in any of tho centres, an average of about 000 only being issued. Some of the members of the unions declined to assist in the matter, w-hilo others took the matter up enthusiastically, no doubt because it was the desire of the officials to obtain the records for future use in presenting their cases before the Court of Arbitration. The information supplied by individuals will Ik> kept strictly confidential, and it is hoped, if tho booklets have been fnt.hfully kept by a sufficient number of workers, to publish an interestinii return, either prior to or in connection with the next annual report of the department.