Thames Star WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1938. LIVING COSTS RISING.

Thames Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 20288, 13 April 1938, Page 2

Thames Star

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1938. LIVING COSTS RISING.

"With mafic# towards non#; with charity for all; with firmnaM in tha right, aa God give# us to aaa tha right. ,> —Lincoln.

Air. Savage’s lance-tilting with the Sydney Morning Herald has provided New Zealanders with some interesting reading. It has permitted them an opportunity of seeing themselves through Australian eyes, and the view has been so disturbing that the Premier has been moved to unusual wrath. There are points in his vigorous reply, however, that lack the conviction of fact and experience. The chief is his statement that the cost of living has not soared and is actually still lower than in 1929. These words will bring cold comfort to the housewife who knows better than all the information she can gain from statistics that the cost of living is still rising sharply and that the real 'value of wages is declining. Mr. Savage has claimed an improved position when compared with 1929. Yet a comparison of wholesale prices shows that the increase in” New Zealand has been greater than in any other country with the sole exception of Japan. And Japan’s increase is due largely to the'financial strain of the China war. This table shows the trend of costs with 1929 as the base (100): —*

Wholesale prices arc the basis of the cost of living, and it is not surprising iii view of the above figures that the New Zealand cost of living index since 1935 has risen from 837 to 945. Mr. Savage’s optimism does not soften the fear that this rapid increase has not yet lost its momentum.

1033 1034 .1037 Now Zealand .. .. 87.0 80.4 105.2 Britain . . (58.3 71.0 84 Australia . . 78.1 81.G 87.7 Canada .. 70.2 74.0 86.3 U.S.A 78.G 83.7