J. E. MACMA.NUS.J

15

H.— lB.

8. Do you think 10 per cent, would be any way near it ? —I would have saved more than 10 per cent, if I could have paid cash. There has been an increase in the price of brown coal from 18s. to 21s. per ton. I understand that that increase is due to the fact that there is an association which mainly controls the light-brown coal, but not the bituminous coal. There was a decrease in bituminous coal from 425. to 355. a ton, due to Siate competition. Then there is tliis question in the Commission's order of reference : "To what extent is the increased cost of living, if any, the result of a higher standard of living ? " As to that, I would say that the people who are affected by the higher standard of living are the wealthy class. Of course, the standard of living depends largely on local conditions. 9. The Chairman.] Are the worker's desires larger now than they were years ago —does he satisfy those desires more freely than the worker did, say, twenty years ago : that is to say, he must have better food, more recreation —he must have a larger life than he had twenty years ago ? —That is true. Then there is this question in the order of reference : " To what extent have monopolies, combines, trusts, and other associations of manufacturers or sellers of the necessaries of life contributed to the rise in prices ? " I would like, first of all, to refer to timber. I recently went down to Catlin's River, and I learned that they were exacting royalties for the right to cut timber. It is obvious that that has to be passed on to the consumer. This monopoly of land gives the owner the right to charge a man who wishes to use the timber to the extent of £5 per acre. That price has to be passed on to the consumer. 10. You must show us that there has been a rise in the royalties. If the same conditions prevailed twenty years ago as now, there would not be a rise in the matter of royalties ?—I understand. Then there is this question : " What steps should be taken with a view to reducing the costs of the necessaries of life ? " It is obvious that if you want to find a solution of that question you must first find out the cause of the increased cost. I think the injustice in regard to royalties should be removed. I think the secretary of the sawmillers, whose address is Invercargill, could give the Commission some information in regard to the royalties. He assured me that if 6d. a hundred feet was charged for timber —that is, an extra charge—that would allow for Is. a day rise in wages to the men ; but, as a matter of fact, the price has risen over 2s. 6d. per hundred feet since the duty was placed on timber. I have made inquiries from local timber-merchants, and find that the price of timber has gone up. Then, as to this question : " What effect, if any, has the labour legislation had on the increase in the prices of the commodities of life ? " In the case of the wool industry, the president of the Chamber of Commerce admitted two years ago that the improved price of the clip for that year amounted to £3 2s. sd. for sixty sheep, and yet the shearers only received a very small fraction of the increase— about one-fortieth of the improved price, or Is. 6d. per sixty sheep. It was obvious that any addition on the part of the cost of the shearers' work had been very small indeed. In fact, it had not affected the price at all. 11. Mr. Macdonald.] What do you think the price of wool really depends on ?—I should think what fixes it to a great extent is the demand elsewhere, and there is also the fact of the price being forced up by monopolies. 12. What monopolies ?—Monopolies of buyers for manufacturers directly interested in the business. 13. Mr. Fairbairn.] Wool is sold by auction as well as privately. How could there be a monopoly there ?—We will assume that the State carried on this enterprise and sold at the actual cost of production to the public inside of New Zealand, or even outside of New Zealand if necessary. The increased cost of living, however, is due to the fact that somebody is getting a big profit. We have, of course, to-day many economical devices in connection with manufactures which should reduce the cost of production, and therefore the public should get the article cheaper if there were no monopoly. 14. What is the shearers' rate at the present moment ?—£l a hundred. 15. In addition to that, what does it cost the station-owner ? —I think it is 6d. or a little over per sheep until it gets on to the boat —that is, including shearing. Then, as to meat sheep, the slaughterman has received an increase of about one-fifth of a penny per sheep, and mutton was increased out of all proportion —more than id. per chop. 16. What is the present rate per hundred at the freezing-works ? —£l ss. a hundred. On the other hand, there has been a rise in the price of butter, and labour legislation practically does not affect that industry, and there are no unions and no awards affecting it. 17. Mr. Robertson.] Who does the biggest business in milk here ?—The Taieri and Peninsula Co-operative Company. I would like to say that in my opinion co-operative enterprise is not going to reduce the cost of living. It may secure to the people in the co-operative industry the full prices that are going. It may throw some of the middlemen out of business, but will not reduce the cost of living. The only thing that will reduce the cost is for the people to run the industry themselves. I stated previously that the price of timber had gone up considerably. I can now submit lists to prove it. Take the Ist March, 1902 : Red-pine, in. and under, to 8 in. wide, per 100 ft. superficial, 6s. ; at the present tims, rei-pine scantling and rough timber, 8 in. by 1 in., 14s. 6d. The minimum rate quoted at the present time is 14s. 6d. It varies up to 18s. In 1902 the dearest class under the heading of red-pine —that is, tongued and grooved, and lining, was 12s. ; at the present time lining and tongued and grooved is 15s. Here is another list showing a difference of about Is. in 1903. 18. Mr. Ma:donald.] One price-list is that of Macpherson and Co, (Limited), and the other is that of McCallum and Co.? —Yes, but I understand there is no variation now. I went to several to-day, and they told me to go to McCallum's, for they all had the same price-list. Each gave me to understand there was no variation in price. 19. These prices of Macpherson and Co. are Invercargill prices with railage on ? —Yes, but you will notice that the Dunedin price is less than that of Invercargill. 20. They are both Invercargill. Have you any idea of the cost of railage between Invercargill and Dunedin ? —I cannot say what it is. Here are other prices : \ in. and under up to 8 in. wide, per 100 ft., 65.; over \ in. wide and up to 8 in. wide, 7s. 6d.; 12 in. wide, 9s. 6d., now 16s. 6d.; 6's under 3 by 1, Bs. 6d., now 15s. 6d.