H. -18

Purchased in Wellington, 17th, 18th, and 19th August, 1912 — continual.

Out of seventy-one articles purchased it will be noted that forty (or 56 per cent.) were short in weight or measure. The Commission has made a recommendation on this matter in Chapter XIII, page xciv. (f.) The wages of domestic servants have at least doubled during the last twenty years owing to the comparative scarcity of the supply. Medical attendance to the working-man belonging to a lodge has not increased during the last twenty years. For approximately Is. 6d. per week workers between the ages of seventeen and forty years are entitled to free medical attendance and medicine and other benefits for their wives and children. The fees of general practitioners do not seem to have changed to the community in general, but drugs of higher quality and of more expensive kinds are now demanded, and there is a higher cost owing to special forms of treatment. Nursing generally has increased about 50 per cent. The information sent in by the medical practitioners in answer to a letter of inquiry from the Commission is printed as the Adenddum. ((/.) The following information was given by Dr. Mcllraith, Inspector of Schools in the Auckland district (pages 277-8) :— " I find that the cost of maintaining children at school nowadays is considerably less than it used to be. Ten years ago the school-books for Standard I cost about is. a year. Now they do not cost

Attendance

Education,

XXIV

! Price. Description of Article purchased. I How asked for. Gross Weight. Net Weight. ' Coffee (paper bag) ii ,, s. d. 0 10 0 9 1 6 1 lb. tin coffee .. 1 lb. loose coffee 1 lb. tin coffee (New Zealand Coffee and Spice Manufacturing Company, Wellington) 1 lb. tin Red White and Blue brand coffee and chicory 2 lb. loaf sugar .. lb. oi. dr. 0 12 8 0 7 12 0 15 14 lb. oz. dr. 0 8 8 0 7 11* 0 11 2* ii ,, ,, and chicory.. 1 8 1 1 14 0 12 12* Sugar (Colonial Sugar Company —cardboard box) Cream cheese (WardelPs) Egg-powder (lib.) Ground ginger 0 6 2 1 15 2 0 3 0 41 0 6 0 4 1 lb. cream cheese .. .. I J lb. tin Edmond's egg-powderf .. \ lb. tin ground ginger (supplied loose) 1 lb. tin K peach jam 1 lb. tin A.B.C. peach jam 1 lb. tin K marmalade 1 lb. tin Highlander condensed milk 2 lb. tin of best honey, Beehive brand 1 lb. tin Defiance dried milk 1 lb. Hall's margarine \ lb. Fry's cooking-chocolate 1 oz. packet- Nelson's Brilliant gelatine \ lb. tin cinnamon One 1 oz. packet mixed spice 1 lb. arrowroot biscuits 1 lb. rice-wafers.. TOne 1 oz. bottle of each —essence"] J of almonds, lemon, and vanilla ! ] (Cloth of Gold brand, put up by f [_ Young's Chemical Company) J 1 lb. Kaponga butter 1 lb. Reka butter 1 lb. Is. 2d. tea (Campbell's) One 7 lb. tin marmalade (ABC brand) 1 lb. Black Swan butter 1 lb. Marigold butter 1 lb. tin Harp coffee ") 2 oz. bottles of each —Murdock's") )■ essences of lemon, vanilla, and j> J almonds J 1 lb. Gold Leaf butter 1 lb. Nutricia butter 0 7 8 0 8 6 0 4 3 0 6 12* 0 6 6* 0 4 I Jam .. Marmalade Condensed milk Honey Dried milk Margarine Chocolate.. Gelatine 0 5 0 4 0 6 0 6 1 0 1 0 0 9 0 6 0 6 1 0 10 1 0 9, 1 0 7 1 0 12 2 4 15 1 1 12 0 15 13 0 4 0 0 2 8 0 13 10* 0 13 1* 0 14 7* 0 13 12* 0 12 8* 0 15 12* 0 3 14* 0 1 8 Cinnamon Spice (K brand) Biscuits 1 0 0 11 0 7 0 8 0 4 2 0 1 1 1 0 9 1 0 8 0 2 8* 0 1 0 J 0 1 1 0 0 Essence of lemon . . ,, vanilla .. ,, almonds 0 6 0 6 0 6 0 0 61* 0 0 5* 0 0 61* Butter 1 2 1 3 I 0 0 1 0 2 0 8 6 7 14 0 0 15 15* 1 0 ] 0 8 11 7 3 0 Tea .. '.'. '.'. Marmalade 3 0 Butter Coffee '.'. '.'. '.'. Essence of lemon . . ,, vanilla .. ,, almonds ButterJ .. 1 2 1 3 1 3 0 6 0 6 0 6 1 3 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 8 0 15 15* 0 15 15* 0 13 8* 0 1 5* 0 1 6* 0 1 6* 0 15 14* 0 15 15* 1 0 0 1 0 0 ,, . . . . . . * Short weight or measure. fNi it sold by weight, but at per tin. tSol< as " pats," not as ■' lb."