SUGAR PRICES.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 2715, 7 August 1923, Page 3

SUGAR PRICES.

IS A SHORTAGE LIKELY ? INCREASED PRICE ANTICIPATED. The principal of a large firm of importers in Wellington, in reply to an enquiry by a reporter the other day, stated that there was a great shortage of sugar among the Wellington merchants, and that in the course of a month the price would probably go up by at least a halfpenny per lb. Housewives in some of the suburbs have experienced difficulty for the last fortnight in getting their usual supplies of sugar, and their grocers in one or two cases had said that it would probably rise to 6d. per lb. shortly.

The gentleman mentioned did no: think it would go as high as that, but he felt faii% sure there would be a rise.

Inquiry among- leading merchants of the town by a " Manawatu Times " reporter yesterday elicited the information that there is a shortage locally, and has been for some time, though the position is by no means alarming The Wellington merchant was stated to be a little extravagant in his opinion as to the extent of the anticipated rise. The Government was supposed to have relinquished control of sugar at the end of last month, but is no-w retaining control until the middle of this month. Upon the relinquishment of that control, Government sudsidies would naturally cease, and a rise not exceeding £2 was anticipated.

Another local firm stated that the rise anticipated by the Wellington merchant could hardly take place, but an increase of about a halfpenny a lb. within a month or two was generally anticipated.