COST OF LIVING

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160797, 3 November 1920, Page 3

COST OF LIVING

SEPTEMBER INDEX FIGURES. ' (Per United Press Association.) . WELLINGTON, November 2. Tho Minister of Internal Affairs has 3 lied Mr McCombs with the Seper index numbers as follows: Groceries, 2033; dairy produce, 1745; meat, 1664; weighted average of three food groups (1549) which represents an increase of 15 points over the August number. The increase per cent, for the combined groups over July, 1914, is '72.80. Commenting on these figures Mr McCombs said that the average increase for the quarter ending September, or the six months ending September, would of course be lower, but' as 'tho cost of living shows a very steady tendency to increase he contended it would be obviously unfair to base the cost of living bonus on anything less than the September month figure, because that represents the increase in the cost of living which the workers will, have to face in the coming months even if the coat of living does not further increase month by month, as it shows every indication of doing. Mr McCombs said that the increase in the price of but'ter was not recorded in the September figures, and it should be allowed for if the September month figure is used, and not quarterly or six monthly average, and allowance made for butter prices. Bonuses should not be less than 20 per cent, as compared with the February six-monthly average,