THE OYSTER SEASON

North Otago Times, Volume CI, Issue 13234, 4 March 1915, Page 7

THE OYSTER SEASON

AUSPICIOUS OPENING.

KEEN lUVALRY,

INVERCARGILL, March 2.

For the first time for years the oyster season opened in glorious weather, enabling every craft to get out to the beds yesterday and get ..excellent eutdics. The rivalry between the firms was very keen. The old firms outmanoeuvred their rivals by despatching launches out to the beds aud bringing iu several sacks in time for tho 8 a.m. train. A new firm also ran a launch into port, aud got a supply up to town by the HMO,train, reaching invcrcargill at 11.15, There was much jubilation amongst • the old linns in reaching their Invcrcargill shops first. The bivalves have never looked iiuei/ and a splendid scaso.ii should result. The oyster war is the liiaiu topic of conversation nt the Bluff. The rival linns have cut prices down until, it is said, there is nothing in the trade. From 8s per sack they came down to 7s Od, then to 7s, and now the old-firms havo announced 6s (id as their price to the public. Half sacks are quoted at 4s—that is, 50 dozen oysters for 4s, or less than HI per dozen. Even in the retail shops there is talk of a rctitU'war in .bottled oysters. Prices for big bottles have been Is, aud for smaller o;;cs Od. '• It is reported that one Bluff retailer has threatened' to cut' down prices to Od,