THEN AND NOW.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 305, 24 December 1926, Page 4

THEN AND NOW.

CHRISTMAS—I92S AND 1926. WHAT A POUND WILL BUY. Once you break a pound, it's surprising how quickly the change disappears. This hard fact is brought home with relentless seventy to the prudent housewife who goes shopping during Christmas week. All the same, there is some satisfaction in her discovery that her 20/ will purchase more this week than it would at the corresponding period last year. In the report which follows, touching the main lines of daily consumption, interesting comparisons are made, which appear to bear out this contention. Compared with the prices ruling at this date last year, butter, beef, and mutton are all cheaper, while pork, veal, cheese, and eggs are about the same figure as they were twelve months ago. Hams are one penny per pound dearer, while bacon shows no change of note. Christmas Joints. A sirloin of beef can to-day be bought at 9d per lb, a drop of one halfpenny; wing rib is also reduced by the same amount, being now 8d per lb; while prime ribs are selling at Cd per lb, compared with a year ago. Beef steak is 6d per lb, rump steak 1/, and undercut 1/2 per lb. Prices for veal are unchanged, fillets selling a I lOd per lb, steaks lid, loin Bd, and forequarters sd. Mutton is also cheaper, legs selling at 8d per lb if over 6 lb, and Od when under that weight. Leg chops are JOd per lb, and forequarters 3d. Lamb forequarters sell at 9d per lb, as against lid last year; legs 1/2 (same as in 1025); loin and chops 1/ per lb, as against 1/2 and ! 1/3 last Christmas. Pork, Hams and Bacon. Pig farmers are getting a little more money for their product this year. The retail price for pork is as follows: Loin 1/ per lb. leg lid. chops 1/1, an advance of Id in the latter instance. Hams are also one penny per lb dearer this year, as far as the retail rate is concerned, but had not orders been placed earlier at lower rates, it is probable consumers would have to pay an extra penny per pound for their Christmas hams. Whole hams are offered retail at 1/4 to 1/6 per lb, as compared with 1/3 to 1/4 a year ago, and rashers are 1/10 per lb. Bacon in cuts is a halfpenny easier this Christmastide, being lOd to 1/5 per lb, and rashers 1/4 to 1/6. Butter Cheaper by Twopence. Owing to the low prices ruling for New Zealand butter on the London market retail rates here have been in favour of consumers so far this season. Although there was within the last couple of weeks an advance of one penny per pound on the local market, the price to-day is still twopence less than it was a year ago. Superfine factory butter is selling retail at 1/7 per lb. first grade 1/6, and second grade 1/5. Prices for cheese are unaltered, at 1/2 to 1/4 per lb, and twopence per pound extra for choice matured brands. At the auction sale this week there were moderate supplies of butter in the pat, with a slightly improved demand. Best quality realised 1/1 to 1/1% per lb, inferior 9d to lO'/id. Eggs. The retail price for eggs to-day is precisely the same as it was last year at this date. Fresh hen eggs are quoted 2/ per dozen, and duck 2/. At the auction marts during the past week supplies of eggs were only moderate. There was a fair demand at 1/11 per dozen for fresh hen eggs, and 1/9 to 1/9V£ for duck. Sugar Dearer. During the past fortnight an advance was notified in the wholesale price of sugar of 10/ per ton. The retail rate for a 701b bag is 18/, as against 17/6 this time last year. This means an advance in the cost to the consumer of threepence per bag. On November 2, 1925, No. 1A sugar was quoted £22 per ton. as compared with £25 10/ per ton to-day, an advance of £3 10/ per ton. Plenty of Vegetables. The auction marts have been well supplied with vegetables this week and those who are able to purchase in auction quantities have been able to get good value. Potatoes have been very plentiful and prices have dropped to 4/ and 5/6 per sugar bag. Last Christmas they . were worth Id to lV4d per lb. Cabbages brought up to 10/ per sack last year; this week they have been knocked down at 4/. Green peas, too, have been in over supply and have only realised from Id to 2d per lb. Onions, both local and Canadian, are about the same price as last year. The range of prices this Week has been: —Potatoes, best quality, 4/ to 5/6 per sugar bag; onions, local, l'-4d to per lb; Canadian, 15/ to 16/ per crate; green peas, Id to 2d per lb; French beans, 6d to 8d per lb; cabbages, 1/ to 4/ per sack; cauliflowers, 3/ to 8/. Oft" the bench: Cabbages, 1/ to 2/6 per dozen; cauliflowers, 3d to 1/ each; rhubarb, 2/ to 3/ per dozen; lettuce, 1/ to 3/ per case; cucumbers, 3/ to 11/ per dozen; vegetable marrows, 2/6 to 7/ per dozen; celery, 2/6 to 3/6 per bundle; carrots, parsnips, beet and turnips, 9d to 1/9 per dozen Fruit Sells Well. There have been plentiful supplies of fruit at the mart this week and selling prices have not differed greatly from those ruling last Christmas. A few small lines of local apples ex cool store have come forward, including Delicious, which usually does not keep so late in the season. Local cookers are now available in small lots. Strawberries were selling well early in the week but the heavy rain yesterday afternoon promptly restricted the demand. Oranges are very dear and GaliforniaU Navels have brought up to 42/6 per case. Selling rates have been: — Apples, local, Doherty, 5/ to 7/, Delicious, 8/ to 10/6; Stunner, 9/ to 12/; green cookers, 2%in., 8/ to 12/; Canadian dessert, 14/ to 17/6. Strawberries, 1/ to 1/10 per chip. Sydney fruit.—Cherries, 15/ to 17/6 for best quality, others 10/ to 12/: apricots, 14/ to 18/ for cases hi good order, others 6/ to 10/; oranges, 22/ to 30/; Californian Navel oranges, 40/ to 42/6 per large case; ripe bananas, special quality, 30/ to 39/ per case, others 10/ to 20/; plums, special red lines, 7/ to 10/; others, 4/ to 7/; peaches, very scarce and quality poor, 8/ to 14/; inferior, 5/ to 7/6; hothouse tomatoes. No. 1, 1/ to 1/3 per lb; medium, 9d to 1/; small, 6d; outdoor, average No. 1, 8d to lOd; lemons (market glutted), good, 5/ to 8/; cured, 8/ to 10/; gooseberries, 6/ to S/6; red currants, 6/ to 7/; loganberries, lOd to 1/2 per punnet. Gobblers at 39/6. Poultry appears to be dearer this year than last, when the price of prime heavy cockerels ranged from 6/ to 8/3 each. This year they realised from 7/6 to 10/. The top price for geese last year was 9/6, this week 11/. For this Christmas poultrysales have been held daily instead of twice or thrice a week as on former occasions. The result has been to distribute the demand and yesterday showed a falling off in values. Selling rates for the week have been:—Prime heavy cockerels, 7/6 to 12/; lighter, 3/6 to 5/; roosters. 4/ to 4/6; fat heavy hens. 4/6 to 5/1; lighter, 2/6 to 3/3; young drakes and ducks. 4/ to 5/6; old ducks, 2/ to 3/6; geese, 8/6 to 11/; gobblers. 20/ to 39/6; turkey hens, 10/ to 12/. Supplies of Fish. Despite the dulness of the weather this week supplies of fresh fish have been well maintained. Flounders, hapuka and schnapper and- other lines are on sale in the retail shops. Prices do not vary greatly, and are much the same as at last Christmas. Shopkeepers report that business has been fairly brisk. Retail prices are as follow:—Fresh fillets schnapper, terakihi. and trevalli, 3d to 4d each; John Dory, 1/ per lb; kingtish, lOd per lb; kippered fillets, 1/ per lb; lemon fish, 8d per lb; gurnard, cream fish, and mussels, 2/ per dozen, in bottles 1/6; fresh schnapper and trevalli, 6d to 8d each; mullet, 9d to 1/6; hapuka and kingfish. 1/ per lb; flounder, 4d to 1/6; smoked fish, schnapper lOd per lb. mullet lOd. trevalli M, kippers 9d per pair, silver strip Sd per lb, crayfish lOd to 1/ per lb; rabbits, 1/