The Workers' Deteriorating Living Standard

Wanganui Chronicle, 10 November 1949, Page 4

The Workers' Deteriorating Living Standard

Sir, —In your sub-leader of November 3, entitled "Remember the Days?” you state that a six-piece dining-room suit 9 in 1936, which would cost £9 10s to make and was sold for £l4 ss, today would cost £26 10s to make and retails at £39 15s. I wonder how many people in the lower income groups could, even in 1936, afford a brand new suite at the price quoted? Secondly, in 1936, th e apparent profit on this suite was £4 15s. Today it is £l3 ss. Lastly, do you advocate a return to conditions similar to 1936?—1 am, etc-, DAVID H. WILKIE, Wangaehu. The “Chronicle” would prefer the price-wages relationship that prevailed in 1936 to that which obtained in 1949, because the worker was better off in 1936 than he is today. The suite of furniture reterred to, which was made and sold freely in 1936, cost the consumer 2855. Wage rates for tradesmen were then 2s an hour. Thus the purchase would demand of the worker 1421 hoars of work. As the sam e suite now sells at £39 15s, or 7955, and wages have risen to 4s an hour, the purchaser is required to work 1985 hours to earn the price of the furniture. That is to say, an extra 561 hours must be worked to secure the same produce. This is roughly li weeks of work extra, and represents a deterioration on this item alone of 2.88 per cent, in the worker’s standard of living. Other purchases of like kind would reduce it still further.—Editor.