HARD TIMES IN HARDWARE

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17287, 30 September 1916, Page 14

HARD TIMES IN HARDWARE

MOW PRICES HAVE ADVANCED. A commercial man with agencies for ome of oho best-known English lines in hardware (says the “Dominion”) ipeaks interestingly on Die manner in vhich prices for certain standard lines if hardware have advanced since the outbreak of the war, or moro particularly since England becamo organised for * munition-making, which was the first real big check on the output of those lines he referred moro particularly Vo. Some months ago England put an embargo both on the export and import of steel screws. The export prohibition was owing to the largo demand for screws for war purposes, but. seeing that was the case, it was difficult to reason why the prohibition had been extended to their

importation into England. This iyas really owing to the large quantities oi screws that were being imported from America, and so monopolised cargo space needed for other linos. This prohibition did not last long, however, as it was found that there was a shortage of screws for war purposes, and the door was once more opened to tho American manufacturers. Screws, both steel and brass, have advanced about SO per cent in price in New Zealand, and aro by no moans plentiful "at the now figure. Whilst this may be considered a big jump, it is not so great as thc % “ riss - ’ in hinges (gate hinges of the Japanese tee or Scotch tee'pattern), which had gone up 120 per cent during the last two years. .Another everyday building requisite which had gone up was sarking for roofs (or roofing felt), which had advanced 00 per cent in England. Some of the raw material employed in the manufacture of the felt had advanced by as much as 200 i per cant during the last eighteen months so that tho market price here was not ono that need surprise anyone in or out of the trade. Door-locks, from Willenhall and Wolverhampton, had advanced 70 per cent, and brass foundry, including door-knobs, had gone lip GO per cent. High-grade Sheffield cutlery, which could not but bo expected to advance, bad been increased in cost between 45 and 50 pci cent when it was procurable, but it was not easy to obtain delivery. Parts of some orders placed eighteen months ago had come to hand quite recently. A curious feature of this department iu the hardware trade was that given by a leadiflg Sheffield firm, in a recent letter, which stated that tho orders from New Zealand during 1915 were three times as great as they were in iho yeaT before the war. The reason for that was that retailers were ordering two and sometimes three times as much as they actually, needed, in the hope of getting their hare needs, and still they had, in the majority of cases, been disappointed. In tho year 1914 orders were placed with the Lockwoods for no fewer than 6000 dozen of onc-bladed “Pampa ” pocketknives, but of those orders only 300 dozen had been delivered. Asbestos roofing slates, red and grey, now increasingly popular in this country, had increased 50 per cent in price during the last twelve months, and on the top of that, as in other lines, there was a substantial addition iu the "increased freight and insurance to be paid. Enamel ware had gone up considerably in price, and was now almost as dear to buy as aluminium ware, which had also advanced in price, and was in short supply. In view of tho many advances in the materials mentioned it is small wonder that the cost of building has increased.