FOOD PRICES

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 16 July 1921, Page 5

FOOD PRICES

OFFICIAL ACTION CONTINUES

(By Telegraph—Special to Star.) WELLINGTON, July 15. The Department: of Industries and Commerce is continuing the work- of the former prices investigation tribunals, and is keeping a close watch on price movements. It has found | that since the disbanding of tribunals there has been a decline in the number of complai/its received in Christchurch and Dunedin about alleged unreasonable prices charged for certain necessaries, but there has been no appreciable decrease in the number of complaints received in Wellington and Auckland. People in these two localities are taking advantage of the facilities offered for the investigation of prices which are alleged to be un- I reasonably high. Though there hasl been lately an upward movement in the wholesale price of stock this rise has not been generally reflected in the retail rates. Meat can be purchased in most places at the prices recemtly arranged by the Department. Slight readjustments, however, have been made in Auckland, but no increase is permitted anywhere unless the Department has been satisfied that it is reasonable. A fact emphasised by the Department is that in most of the centres the public have opportunities to buy meat at auction. The prices of bread have been adjusted in over IQO different localities in accordance with the scale approved last MarchA downward movement has taken place in the charges made for bool repairs, although repairers generally have not reduced prices. One of the firms doing a very large business in I this way has already given notice of reductions, and all its branches throughout the Dominion have" been ! instructed to reduce prices. j

IMPORTED NECESSARIES

Tea importers state that the Ceylon crop of 190,000,0001b in normal times was curtailed, to 160,000,0001b Tjy finer plucking, while the partial failure of the monsoon rains .caused Ceylon estimates to be further reduced to 145,----000,0001b. The Indian crop shows a probable reduction of 15,000,0001bJava is expected to produce 30,000,----0001b. This is less than normal. Consequently with this reduced general production it" is expected by some people well versed in the trade that there is no prospect of a fall in prices in the Colombo __market, the one in which New Zealand is most concerned. There will certainly be no. fall to the low levels ruling in, say, January last. Total shipments from Ceylon to New Zealand from January to May of this, year are barely 2,000,0001b, as against 8,000,0001b last year, which was more than double normal requirements. Meanwhile there is no falling off in consumption, which is 750,0001b to 800,0001b a month. The stocks of Ceylon teas in New Zealand are very small, but heavy stocks of Indian and Java teas are held.

Soft goods importers have cabled information suggesting that the tide of depression in the cotton manufacturing trade has turned, and that current prices are well maintained. The market is showing an upward movement, and there have been slight increases in manufacturers' prices for some lines. A cablegram was produced, dated London, July 13, reporting an advance of 7-£ percent in flannelette or winceyette.