STANDARD OIL AGAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 166, 13 July 1907, Page 7

STANDARD OIL AGAIN.

IN«;.PRTaE. ,N0 BENETTT FROM CUSTOMS CONCESSIONS. (By Telegrajh.— Parliamentary Reporter.) ' WEIiiNGTON, Friday. '•' The price of kerosene in Christchurch is forty per cent higher now than when there was a duty of 6d per gallon on it," ■declared the Hon. J. A. Millar in the. House when Mr.- Davey (Christehurcli East) called his attention to the fact that the cost in the Southern cityhad now risen to a shilling per galipn. Mr. Millar went on to say it was not an easy matter to deal with the operations of the Trust, but the position was. being looked into. Mr.; Okey (New Plymouth): "Assist the local industry."

The question put by Mr. Davey was in consequence of -an article in the "Lytteltoa Times," Chrisfcehurch, in. which it is declared that the rise has been brought about by the operation of the world-wide American. Oil Trust, which controls practically all the kerosene consumed in New Zealand, as fveil as in other parts of Australasia, The first announcement of the rise was made on Wednesday morning, when the grocers in the city received the followihg circular letter from the local agents of the Colonial Oil Co.: —"We beg to advise you that as our-stock of White Rose kerosene ex-store, Christchurch, is now exhausted, future purchases will have to be taken from liyttelton, where we hold stocks in the Harbour Board's kerosene store. We shall be pleaded to hand' you- delivery orders for your requirements on the usual terms. The present price is lljd per gallon ex-store, Lyttelton, net cash in exchange for delivery order on the Lyttelton Harbour Board's store." Mr. T. Kineaid, president of the Christchureh Grocers Association, explains that by taking delivery at Lyttelton instead of Christchurch in terms of the agent's letter, jd a gallon would be added to the price, to cover the cost of freight between the two places. This will raise the price to 1/ a gallon. The manner in which the price has been jumped up lately is shown by. the following figures:—June 14th, price quoted, lid; July 4th, ll*d; July lOfch, 1/. It was thought that' when the duty was taken off kerosene the consumer would pay inxich less for the article. He is now paying nearly 50 per cent more.