THE PRICE OF FOOD.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 187, 7 August 1914, Page 6

THE PRICE OF FOOD.

NO NEED FOR ?AHKS, In the course of a diicueeion *t *> City Council meeting last algM, ** Read stated that there wee »**;"££ Citizens' Committee, ac H»d «*"/Tj; gested by the Mayor, iHor i"**?..;;.: to attend to the question «>* "" au &S ;' flation of prices of .Ig: wae a country producing "*}*?*;*£<■, flour, and with the cent time stopped, and yet *«B J» : should, consequently, be d^WfvSg.-. ever, the merchants had raised ">£!££ of thie vital product 10/ * tea. • *#£;. sentatione ehould be made to »«V\»> erivment to prevent that kind of : Mr. A. J. Entrican stated inflation in the price of foodettt&VP* ■ •been caused I>y people getting "*"l? panic, for fear there should be a »«■»?: and making a rush on flour and tv Pr He knew cases in which theeupP"?*: had cold out of these goods in tw W two or three days, and could not g« more because of the panicky '■■ ; There wae absolutely no neceaeity lor the panic; New Zealand had the gt»Wt ■ the mills and the labour, and ; at present, so that there could J*"' scarcity of flour. The merchant* »"* shopkeepers were not altogethet jj? blame. He knew one instance id wW* a man had asked an increase Of pound on the article in order to 'I"** off a would-be buyer, co that he «""« keep hie stock for his customers« the usual price. If people kept £o& • and did not rush the goods:the"pn«» would remain normal. Mr. T. L. Thompson remarked thtt it was the people with funds who nun** up the price of food, with the **•**■ that the pinch fell on the worker.«*• 'V could not buy ahead. The M»yor ; rt" plied that it had to be seen th»t pricp* s of foodstuffs were not unduly * o, **? ■up. Parliament was now sitting, :: **f :!■[ could deal with thie matter so ■**.£ prevent merchants and traders fronHJJ; mending extortionate prieei fe* *••* ' etufls.