30 AUGUST 1913, Page 15

THE COST OF LIVING.

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."1 SIR,—Further to my letter of last week. As the cost of living in the various large towns is of considerable interest to many of your readers, I append a statement extracted from the recent Board of Trade return,* from which you will observe that taking London as the standard (100 in the table) Scotland is the dearest place to live in, Ireland the next, and England third (London excepted). Notwithstanding the large variation in the rents, the gross cost of living in the English towns enumerated only varies from 5 to 19 per cent. below London.—I am, Sir, &c.,