The Waikato Independent SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1930. THE STANDARD OF LIVING.

Waikato Independent, Volume XXX, Issue 2305, 1 March 1930, Page 4

The Waikato Independent SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 1930. THE STANDARD OF LIVING.

Whenever an industrial dispute occurs—and this is, unfortunately, rather too frequent—we hear much of the cost of living. The workers claim a right to a wage that will enable them to live comfortably,' and who would deny them that right? However, what is a living wage, and what is a reasonable standard of living? These are questions very difficult to answer. What was at one time considered almost luxurious living would to-day barely satisfy the most frugal and homely. Without doubt the standard of living is steadily rising, while the value of money is decreasing. Thus we have to view matters from a totally different standpoint to what we did 20 to 30 years ago. We well remember the time when, in New Zealand, the working man who had a regular job and was earning £2 a week was considered a fortunate man. At that time, money was worth more, but, also, the average man and woman spent, much less. It was then the exception to find a piano in a working man's home; there were no gramophones, no motor cars, or wireless sets, no telephones, and no picture entertainments to provide for. The higher standard of living that obtains to-day should ensure greater happiness to the individual, and a greater degree of health. Probably it docs contribute towards this latter much desired end, but we have far from reached the milleniura. There is much difference of opinion regarding the effect that the altered standard of living is having on individual and national life. In this respect some comments made by the "Literary Digest" are of interest. This publication says: "The rising standard of living means more money expended on health. It means fewer deaths of babies, for, as Dr Woodbury has shown, the infant death-rate /alls very rapidly as the income goes up. With higher wagcs,.the distinctive cultural entity of the European working class will tend to be broken down. Other effects will be similar to the results of raising wages in- America. The American standard means a smaller proportion of the income spent for food. In the United States the work-ing-man spends 30 or 40 per cent of his total income for food. In Europe he spends from 40 to 00 per cent for food. As the income is raised a smaller percentage of income is spent for rent, but a larger percentage is spent for clothing. The percentage of the increase spent on furniture increases also as the income goes up, until fairly high incomes are reached. Raised standards of living also mean larger percentages of the income spent on recreation, education, and religion among the working classes." The "Digest" adds: "Almost certainly raised standards of living in Europe will mean, as in America, more automobiles, more radios, and more telephones. There are two forces at work to produce a rising standard of living. There arc first the ever-increas-ing number of inventions that make new forms of wealth; and second, the declining rates of increase in population. But it is the growing spread of birth control to the rural, population and among the lower economic groups in the cities that will keep the population down to a ratio to the natural resources that will enable the new inventions to bring a rising standard of living." Another writer, Professor Ogburn, dealing with this question, expresses somewhat the same views. He says: "The standard of living is more than plenty of food. Most primitive people had plenty of food most of the time. We demand more and more of the ever-increasing good things of life. The luxuries of yesterday arc the necessities of to-day." These brief sentences are most pertinent to the question.

As a matter of simple fact there is not there cannot be—a clearly-defined

standard. Each sets his own standard, and, for the purpose of individual and general betterment, the standard should be set beyond possibility of attainment. He who sets a low standard is sure to finish badly, and to attain M»ything we must aim high.