HOW TRADES ARE AFFECTED

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 54, 1 September 1916, Page 8

HOW TRADES ARE AFFECTED

WHOLESALE FIRMS BADLY HIT.

[ Enquiry among wholesale and retail I business firms showed that the Wellington soft goods and hardware houses have been I hard hit by the Tongariro disaster. A. ! largo quantity of the cargo was made |up of "repeat" orders made necessary by the loss of the Rangatira, near Capetown, a few months ago. One large retail store had a very large shipment on board, but as it had good , stocks ou hand, the business would not feel the loss so much. The manager said the loss was bound to affect all branches of the soft goods' trade in Wellington, as the shipment. on the Tongariro was mainly composed of new season's goods for the spring, which is nowjust opening. Another large retail firm said there was about £2000 worth of goods for.its business on the Tongariro, which it would be difficult to replace. The bulk of this firm's orders were "repeats" for goods on the Rangatira', and replacement in some cases would be practically impossible. The warehouses have also suffered considerable loss. One large firm with branches throughout the Dominion states that it had a very large and valuable shipment on board the vessel. "But we won't starve," said the manager, "though it will take at least six to nine months to replace the new stock. Prices have gone up since tho TongarirOiS shipment was bought at Home, and speaking*; generally are now showing about 25 per cent, advance. The trade in Wellington is hit hard all round." The hardware firms Have also lost much valuable cargo. "We have been badly hit," said one merchant, "and this has come at a very awkward time, as it is not easy to get hardware at Home now that the British Government' has prohibited 'the export of several lines, and I doubt if we can get some of these again." This firm had a good deal of raw material on the Tongariro, but the worst loss would, be a quantity of sheet glass, which was stated to be very scarce at present. A retail firm stated that it had obout £600 worth of hardware goods on the vessel, a great deal of which was a "repeat" order. When this shipment was secured it took five months lo secure shipping space, now it will probably take nearly twelve months.