H.—lB

XLIII

Table 29. —Analysis of Price-changes in the United Kingdom between 1894-98 and 1906-10. (Layton.) (Wholesale Prices according to Sauerbeck's Index Number; Average Rise in Prices, 25 per Cent.)

Table 30. —Analysis of Price-changes in New Zealand between 1894-98 and 1906-10. (Wholesale Prices according to Dr. McIlraith's Index Numbers; Average Rise in Prices, 7 per Cent.)

These tables show some interesting contrasts. In the United Kingdom the more important foodstuffs, such as sugar, beef, mutton, flour, wheat, butter, pork, and bacon rose less than the average (in sugar there was even a fall in price) ; but in New Zealand these articles, with the exception of sugar, rice, and flour, rose more than the average, particularly the meats and dairy-produce. If we take into consideration the considerable rise in rent, it is clear that the cost of living in New Zealand has risen much more than the rise in the supplies of gold and of money generally would explain. Some of the other causes which have operated to raise the local prices of foodstuffs are discussed in succeeding chapters ; but we may so far anticipate the results arrived at as to state here that the greatest influence has been the increased demand for foodstuffs throughout the world. During the last twenty years New Zealand has been enabled by the improvement of various processes of preserving foodstuffs and the acceleration of transport to play an increasing part in satisfying this demand ;• foodstuffs have been exported in increasing

Articles which rose less than the Average. Articles which rose about the same as the Average. Articles which rose more than the Average. Coffee Indigo Tallow Tea .. Sugar Barley Potatoes Timber Oats Leather Lead Beef Mutton Silk .. Flour Flax Wheat Butter Pork Rice Per Cent. -32 -25 - 4 - 3 - 1 + 4 + 4 + 9 + 11 + 14 + 15 + 16 + 16 + 16 + 16 + 17 + 17 +17 + 18 + 19 Bacon Coal Wool Petroleum Pig-iron Nitrate Per'Cent. + 20 + 25 + 25 + 27 +30 + 30 Per CentHemp . . . . +31 Hides .. .. + 33 Oils .. .. +35 Soda .. .. +35 Iron bars .. .. +35 Linseed .. .. +40 Maize .. .. +44 Copper .. .. +52 Cotton . . . . +71 Jute .. .. +80 Tin .. .. +136

Articles which rose lc Average. sss than the Articles which rose about the Average. Articles which rose more than the Average. Article. Rise or Fall. Article. I Rise. Article. Rise. Rise. Kerosene Rice Coal Currants Sugar Soda Cement .. Oats Flour .. Per Cent. Fall 30-89 „ 23-78 „ 23-57 „ 19-31 „ 17-72 „ 12-12 „ 3-02 Rise 1-69 „ M8 Coffee .. Tea .. WheatPer Cent. Rise 3-40 „ 4-80 „ 10-12 Linseed-oil Iron bars Barley .. Mutton . . Beef Lamb . . Soap Lead Zinc Bacon .. Butter .. Cheese .. Wool Per Cent. Rise 14-82 „ 15-94 „ 16-79 „ 19-58 „ 20-04 „ 24-90 „ 25-00 „ 25-75 „ 31-15 „ 35-68 „ 40-57 „ 60-67 „ 65-35