FOOD PRICES RISE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15820, 18 January 1915, Page 7

FOOD PRICES RISE.

LOAF OF BREAD NINEPENCE.

POSITION IN CHRISTCHURCH.

[by TELEGRAPH-— ASSOCIATION-]

C'ICRisTCHmcH, Saturday. "Bakers claim to be living a hand to mouth existence at the present lime. Flour has risen from £10 to £15, and the bakers intend to raise the price of bread from what it u--ed to be, 6d, To 9d over the counter and lOd delivered after "Mondav.

If Australian wheat is to be -5s 9d at the ship's side nvllers say it will cost 6s Id to get it to Christchurch, adding railage and loss on Australian sacks, which are of comparatively little use in New Zealand. This does not mean a much cheaper loaf, as it is not generally expected that flour will come below £15. Millers say that it- takes 48 bushels of wheat to produce a ton of flour, and at 6s a bushel this would work out at £14 8s or £14 14« a ton fon flour without allowing anything for milling. Bakers are not at loggerheads with millers, realising, they say, that with few big exceptions there are not many speculators holding wheat and flour. Applications for Government wheat are to be made hrough chief postmasters. Bakers are not applying personally, but are leaving the matter to the millers, and it is expected that wheat should be available very soon at Lyttelton. 1 hat local stocks are low there seems to be little doubt, and one cause of the shortage is the cessation of importations from Australia, Millers who have usually got thousands of bushels from the Common wealth at this time of the year, and earlier, have not had a grain this sanon.

Butchers are putting their prices up all round. A reporter who sought the reason found it to exist principally in the activity of export buyers at Aldington market. Three large firm.-, have been operating for weeks, and it is calculated that 60 per cent, of beef offered has gone to the freezer, while the receiving yards at the freezing works are glutted with sheep and lambs. Some export buyers "have been paying up to the standard of 6d a pound for lamb. These men must buy, and the butcher is obliged to outbid them.