COST OF LIVING COMMISSION.

West Coast Times, 14 June 1912, Page 4

COST OF LIVING COMMISSION.

ONE-SIDED EVIDENCE. MERCHANTS REFUSE TO AP- ! PEAR. ;bt peleorapii—per PRESS association.] CHRISTCHURCH, Juno 13. When counsel for a witness sub-poenaed-.by tho Cost of Living Commission stated this morning that his client declined to give evidence, the chairman asked if any reason could be stated. Counsel replied that ho could not. The Chairman: I only ask because counsel in Dunedin refused evidence on behalf of a client at the same time declining to state his reasons. Ho then wrote to the newspapers giving reasons which ho refused to give tho Commission.” Iho principal witness this morning wai ° D. G. Sullivan, representing the Trades and' Lnbopiy Council, who gave lists of the prices of various articles. Ho said that a higher standard of comfort was needed by tho workers, because of tho speeding up in factories, where greater energy was- demanded than formerly. Conditions for unskilled labour wore worse than twenty years ago; but tho.artisan was in a better position. Men- would go to the country if tho conditions of life and wages were improved. Failing improvement it would be useless to import labour, because immigrants speedily drifted to tho towns. He thought tho chief factors in the increased cost were the higher cost of clothing, higher rents. With 'education, men demanded a better degree of comfort. He advocated increased state competition as a means of reducing tlio cost of living. '