WELLINGTON PRODUCE MARKET.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13191, 11 August 1908, Page 9

WELLINGTON PRODUCE MARKET.

HIGH PRICES FOR vEuETABLES

AND FBI IT

(FKESS ASSOCIATION" TELEGRAM)

■WELLINGTON, August 10

It waa reasoned out some while back that tho stringency of the American 1 money market last year had a serious recrudescence in New Zealand through I tho diminution in demand tor our wool, ; and a consequent fall m prices. This I month New Zealand is experiencing a ! sudden and abnormal rise in the price \of certain commodities, and onco again there is American origin, for the coin- | ills' of the tinted Stales nion-o'-war to I Auckland with twelve thousand men, I and tne Uocktiig to Auckland of visitors I troin various parts of ->e>v Zealand, has caused a groat laying up of comestible products in the iiiirthern city, wiih tho idea of trading them oif pioiitiably to tho visitors, in consequence of this the Wellington market has been It-ft without the supplies ot eggs and other farm produce which art largely drawn from iho Auckland districts at this season of the year. tggs. fruit, and vegetables have all been short in Wellington this month, and soino astonishing prices have been realised. At public auction on Saturday there were sales of cauliflowers, all wholesale lots, at prices which worked out at from one shilling to eighteenpenco per head, orecn peas, the lirst of the season, were sold at four shillings per peck, and this morning there were sales of cabbages mado at prices running to twelve shillings per sack, while as high as nineteen shillings a sack was obtained for European-grown cauliflowers. In short, vegetables aro dear all round. Eggs are dear also, and fruit is bringing extraordinary prices. A representative of Messrs La cry and Company told a "Post" reporter that tho position was made worse in regard to fruit by the shortage of supplies from Tasmania, while the failure of Auckland to send down the usual supply of eggs had resulted in prices being maintained at a very unusual level. Jbor August the average of wholesale prices is Is 2d to Is 4d per dozen for eggs, but they are now bringing Is Bd. Apples sold up to twelvo shillings a case (ordinary size), and- lemons were quitted at over cloven shillings for ordinary sized cases. Every line of fruit mot with keen competition to-day, and consumers will have to pay more than ordinary prices for somo time to come. There were a few cases of good toniatoos offered, and these were quitted at 6d per lb. They are coming to hand in small lots from Nelson, the Hutt, and oversea States. Among the offerings this morning wero somo lines of oranges from Cook Islands, which were landed horo in a poor condition. The oranges which reached Wellington this morning wero landed in Auckland from tho Cook Islands last Sunday week. There will bo further delay before tho consignments for Christchurch and Dunodin reach their destinations.