THE SUGAR SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 114, 7 February 1920, Page 7

THE SUGAR SHORTAGE

IS THE PUBLIC HOARDING ?

SUGGESTION DISCREDITED BY RETAILERS

A suggestion that the general public-, is hoarding sugar is reported to havo been made in Auckland by tho chairman: of tho Board of Trade (Mr. W. G. M'.Donald), - Tho Board'of Trade was satisfied, said, Mr. IfADonald, that lliero had not been' 1 any hoarding on the part of either wholesale or retail dcalors, or on tho part of manufacturers. If hoarding had taken place "those rosponsibln must be householders who had accumulated stocks in anticipation of a ri;:e-in price." Mr. M'Donald stated further 'that the deliveries of refined sugar by the Colonial Sugar Company during lOJfl had totalled 36.460 ron-'-i, an of EOO tons orer thei deliveries of 1918.-

"A moro ridiculous suggestion pas never made." was the comment of one Wellington retailer, whoa ho was r.sked if he thought that tho general public had hoarded sugar. He proceeded to point out that his customers ■had.brac-' ticaliy heen rationed in regard' to- sugar for months past. People who worn in tho habit of-buying their sugar bv the bag had been compelled to accept a few pounds at a time. Customers often had. been refused more than. 21b. of sugar at n time; Ho Lad been forced to turn a deaf ear to appeals for sugar for jammaking purposes, from. people -.- whoso orders were simply a repetition of tho. orders of previous years. Less sustav w passing through his hands now than in other year. How could his customers bo hoarding sugar under Miidr wmdiHuis?

"I don't pretend to understand tho position," added this ictailer. "The Board of Trade say-; that the demand for sugar has increased owii'ir -i mined imports of jams and confectionery, and the cessation of the arrival of occasional shipments from other countries. That may be, but' the demand has not benn satisfied. My own experience points rot. fo much to increased demand as tn reduced supply. The average housewife knows that she is getting less sugnr'thnn slio is accustomed to receive. If tho Sugar Company's output is normal, then I. don't know w'here the sugar is gnina 10. If there is.hoarding, it must tnko place before the'sugar reaches the to-.. tailers." ■ n ' Other retailers .expressed similar views, They were inclined to believe that tho demand for sugar showed an increase, hut they were emphatic in'denying that this accounted fully for -tho shortage. They themselves were handling loss sugar than formerly, not'more. One trader added a suggestion that tho best way of get-, ting at the facts of the "aso would be to take r, census of sugar stocks. The Board of Trade might ask tho Sugar Company and the merchants, at the same time, to chow in wliat'wny tho distribution of sugar at the present, time varied,from tho practice of other yea™.