PRICE OF SUGAR

Northern Advocate, 14 August 1931, Page 2

PRICE OF SUGAR

BATES UNALTERED. (Per Preu Association.—OopyrigJit.J WELLINGTON, This Day. In view of the recent imposition of a duty of a halfpenny a lb. on sugar, merchants throughout the Dominion immediately adopted the course of sending out sugar with the intimation that invoices would follow when the price, presumably to be fixed by the manufacturers, was known. Grocers, therefore, were in doubt as to the true cost to them of this sugar, and in many centres increased it by a halfpenny a lb. in anticipation of an immediate increase in the manufacturers’ and wholesale prices. As no increase has been made yet by the main suppliers (the Colonial Sugar Refining Co.), and as supplies, though “ rationed/ ' are still being released at prices previously ruling, merchants in several centres now are invoicing current orders at the old figure, although presumably they will not supply in excess of normal orders. The Industries and Commerce Department has been in touch with the trade, and the merchants in all the main centres have been communicated { with through the department's district I offices. The Minister of Industries and Commerce desires it to be known that as yet there is no increase in the price of sugar supplied from the Auek- | land refinery, and that storekeepers in all centres, including provincial towns/ ( and grocers throughout the Dominion, should make no increase in sugar prices by reason of the advance in ths duty , j until su#h time as the manufacturers' price is increased. Note.—Any attempt on the part of grocers to increase the price of sugar before the duty of * halfpenny a lb. is passed on by the manufacturers' is discountenanced by the Auckland Master ' Grocers' Association. In view of ret ports that some suburban grocers had P raised the price of sugar, although the wholesale rates had not been ad--1 vaneed, the association herd a meeting on Monday evening, when it was uuani--5 mously decided that the current prices of sugar, and also tea, should be main- ’ tained until the new duties were passed » on by the wholesale. houses.