GROCERY PRICES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 22 June 1940, Page 4

GROCERY PRICES

| REVIEW OF INCREASES In view of applications for increases in wages based on the rise in the cost | of living, the Wellington Master Groc- ■ ers’ Association has issued a review of price increases of essential foodstuffs. In doing so, the association’s , statement, furnished by Mr E. C. Rus- ; | sell, states that taken all round the 1 family content to live on average fare or required by economic circumstances tc do so, has not been faced with great increases. So far there has been no : hardship, taking into account present , circumstances. The association’s review states that taking the everyday lines first, it was j 1 found that butter had remained the i same at Is Gd to Is GJd per lb. Though ! , ; flour had increased to the grocer be- j cause of higher freight charges and I ■ cost of.sacks, the retail price on ; weighed-up quantities remained the same. Bulk teas had risen on an average of Gd per lb. The two best-known - nacket leas were up by 3d and 5d re- - spectively. Potatoes and onions were much 1 cheaper. The wholesale price of sugar { was advanced by £3 16s a ton. but the 1 Price Tribunal refused to allow the \ lelailers to advance the price. This increase was now borne by the trade. r On tlie main lines, then, the public would break even. t In some lines there had been a < marked increase. For instance, sal- I mon was up from 50 per cent, to 100 f per cent. The best known line, “fancy • pink salmon." had gone from Od to * Is 2d a small tin Pineapples were well ■ up. being 9).d per tin against 5d to Gd, with larger tins at Is Id and Is 2d. [ instead of 7?,d and Bd. Cod-liver oil - was up 1 Id a quart, and no doubt U would now be unobtainable. In the lists of price increases author- • ised by the Price Tribunal and issued * t

to members of the association by their secretary, the following increases were noted: Shelled walnuts, pieces, 4d lb.; china buds, 4d; oatmeal and rolled oats. £d per lb.; spices, cloves, chillies, etc., about Gd a lb.; sheep tongues. 3d a tin: tinned meats, 21b tins, 3d. Some lines had had a number of small increases. Cream of tartar cost nearly twice as much. Preserved ginger was up 50 per cent... and unobtainable. Prunes were up 100 per cent, on prewar prices.