AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16672, 17 October 1917, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

VICTORIAN FOOD PRICES. PUBLIC NOT EXPLOITED. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 7.45 p.m.) MELBOURNE. Oct. 16 The Inter-State Commission's report upon the high prices of bread and meat in Victoria finds that a lower price than 4s j 9d a bushel for wheat would not be fair to the producer under the existing conditions. The fixing of prices had killed gambling in foodstuffs. After enumerating the various causes for the increase in the price of meat it adds: "The commission is satisfied that there is no exploitation of the public in Victoria through the operations of rings or combines or the manipulation of the market." THE SHORTAGE OP PAPER. STATE ASSISTANCE SOUGHT. SYDNEY, Oct. 16. At the annual conference of the Country Press Association the secretary's report forecasted a great scarcity of paper after April. In view of this report a series of resolutions will be submitted from the Australian Provincial Press Association advocating reduction in the number of issues weekly, or reduction in the size of publication, or incorporation of newspapers, also approaching the Federal Government with the object of establish, ing paper manufacture from Queensland and other grass and weeds. THE PRICE 0? BTT7WR. MELBOURNE, Oct. 36. The wholesale prices of butter have been fixed for the Commonwealth as follows.— grade, 149s Wj . second, 14Qsj third, 121s 44