THE HOUSEWIFE'S BURDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17361, 7 January 1920, Page 8

THE HOUSEWIFE'S BURDEN.

PRICES STILL RISING.

UNFORTUNATE SUGAfc SHORTAGE.

Prices of foodstuffs are still on the advance, and every week sees something higher in cost with no reductions to compensate. This wei'k jam is up id per lb, bat this has been expected for & long time on account of the scarcity of sugar.

Telegrams from the coon try are being received ecery day by wholesale distributors oalliijg for sugar. There are some cases where a country storekeeper has a small stock left over, through the customary habit of getting in largo supplies at a time, and during the holidays some amusing incidents resulted from a knowledge of this fact. Auckland residents, fesperate for a little sugar, found an occasional back-country store with a few bags. A bag was promptly secured and brought back to town by motor-car, while sometimes even a portmanteau has been known to conceal a bag of sugar picked up in some distant store.

All food prices appear likelv to hold, with the single exception of fruit. The position is most unfortunate in regard to fruit. The usual glut will no doubt soon come in, and for a few weeks there will he obtainable the only food that will sell at pre-war prices. But much of this advantage will be lost through householders being short of sugar, and therefore unable to do any preserving. There is some curiosity a? to what effect the appointment of a Government official will have in regard to the distribution of sugar.