THE MARKET BASKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20263, 24 May 1929, Page 9

THE MARKET BASKET.

RETAIL FOOD PRICES.

A, GUIDE TO HOUSEWIVES, Prices of food supplies this week, -with the exception of fruit and vegetables, remain unchanged. In the fruit section Sunkist lemons havo increased at 2s 6d to 3s 6d a dozen. Island oranges hayo decreased at Is 6d to 2s a dozen. Lettuce are Id cheaper. There is no alteration in the prices of both hen and duck eggs. Supplies of fish, which were sca;rco last week, are now more plentiful. Following arc tho prices for the week : MEAT. Beef.—Sirloin, lOd per lb; rump steak. Is 2d; beef steak. 8d; rolled chuck rib, 7d; prime rib, 7d; wing rib, 3d; corned round, Sd; tripe and dripping, 7d; suet and sausages, Cd; sausage meat, sd; gravy beef and shin meat, (3d; topside and flank, 7d. Mutton.—Leg, 9d; shank end, 10d; hindquarters. 9d; foreouaiters, 7d; forequarter shank end, 7d; shoulder, 7Jd; reck, 7jd; loin, lOd; neck and breast, Gd. leg and loin chops, lid, neck chops, Sd; flap, dd: cutlets, trimmed. Is Id. Lamb.—Spring lamb: Leg, Is 4d; loin and hindquarters, la 3d: forequarter, Is. Old lamb: Leg, is 2d; loin, Is; forequarter, 7d. Veal.—Loin, 3d; shoulders, 7d; cutlets and veal steak. )a; forequarters, Gd. Pork.—Leg, lOd; loin, lid; pork chops. Is; pork sausages, fid. FISH. Fresh fish, fillets, terakihi, large. 3d each; schnapper, 4.Jd: trevalli, 3d; John Dory, 4d; kingfish, 6d; kippered fillets. Is per lb: lemon fish, Sd; roe. Is 6d; gurnard and cream fish, 2d each; mussels. Is 6d a dozen; schnapper, fresh, email, 4d each; terakihi, 4d; trevalli, 4d; mullet, Gd; flounder, Is; hapuku steaks, Is per lb; fins, Gd; kingfish steaks, Gd; best terakihi, smoked, Sd; schnapper, smoked, lOd; roe, smoked, 2s; mullet, smoked. 9d; trevalli, smoked, 7d: silver strip, 7d; crayfish. Gd: rabbits, lid each. FRUIT. Apples.—Cooking. Munroe and Ballnrat, 3d to 4d; Jonathan, 4d; Delicious, Gd; Sturmer, 4d to Gd; Grannie Smith, 3d. Lemons.—Local. G to 8 for Is; Sunkist, 2s Gd to 3s Od a dozen. Tomatoes.—Up to Gd per lb; hothouse, Is to Is 2d. Bananasi;—sd to Gd per lb. Oranges.—Navel, 2s to 3s a dozen; Island. Is Gd to 2s; Sydney Navels, 2s to 2s 6d. Hothouse Grapes.—2s to 3s per lb. Pears.—Nelis, Gd; Coles, 4d; cooking. Vicars. 3d to 4d. ■■ Pereimmons.-—ls to 2s Gd a dozen. Passion Fruit.—ls a dozen. Tree Tomatoes.—6d to 8d per lb. Mandarines.—ls to 2s Gd. Pineapples.—2s to 2s 6d each. VEGETABLES. Potatoes.—Blb for Is. Onions.-—lid to 2d per lb. Lettuce.—2d to 3dveach. Cabbage.—4d to lOd each. Rhubarb.—4d a bundle. Beans.—sd per lb. Vegetable Marrows.—3d to Cd each. Celery.—sd to 9d each. Kumaras.—2d per lb Spinach.—2d a bundle. Caulifloivers.—Sd to Is each. . Cucumbers.—Hothouse, 8d to lOd each. BACON AND HAM. Bacon.—Shoulder rashers. Is per lb; best rib rashers, Is Gd; by pieces, Is Ed;'shoulder cuts, .Sid to Is Id. i . ; Hams.—"Whole, Is ,2d per lb; in rashers, Is 7d;" cooked, 2s 2d; shoulders, Cooked, Is 9d. - BUTTER AND CHEESE. Butler.—Factory, first grade, Is 8d per. lb; second grade, Is Gd; farmers'. Is <ld; bulk butter. Is 7d per lb-: Cheese.—Ordinary, Is 2d per lb; more matured, Is 4d. * EGGS. Hen.—3s a dozen. Duck.—2s Gd a dozen. NEW THEATRE BUILDING. SCHEME AT CHRIST CHURCH [BY TELKGEAPH.— OWN CORRESPONDENT.] . CHKISTCHURCIL Thursday. Sketch plans, for the Regent Theatre, which jf- in stand on the site of the Royal Exchapßuildings in Cathedral Square, have been, approved. Tenders for the work will be called in the course ,of the next few weeks. In making this-, .announcement to-day Mr. E. J. Ri glut on said the architect, Mr. J. S. Guthrie, had returned from Sydney, where theatre 'designers had culled the world for the latest ideas. The new theatre would bp tho most up-to-date in the Dominion. The first work to be done will be. the remodelling of the shop sites on the Square and Worcester Street frontages. These will be built in the latest London style. The building itself will be illuminated each night with floodlights. There will be two large foyers, furnished in a style now popular overseas, ABOLITION OF TEA DUTY. EFFECT ON BRITISH TRADE. Some critical observations on the abolition of the duty on tea, announced by the Chancellor of - the Exchequer in his last Budget speech, are made bv Messrs. McMeekin and Company in their March trade circular. Remarking that, as from April 22, tea is free of duty in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the first time in its history, the circular proceeds:;—" Traders generally are likely to pass on almost immediately to the public the full reduction of 4d per lb. I his will involve them in a serious loss on their duty-paid stocks, and a continuing loss on the 80 per cent, of Empire tea consumed in the country. They' will, however, doubtless welcome freedom from the yearly anxieties of possible loss due to some action of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. At the same time it will be impossible for them to escape feelings of sincere regret that no longer will they have employment for their customs clearing' staff,, and they will, also have to part from many old friends connected with the customs work and bonded warehouses. It is to be feared that the sudden change must bring hardship to very many honourable and hard working families throughout the country, while it will be impossible for the general body of taxpayers to escape entirely for some years from the burden of the expensive organisations maintained by His Majesty's Customs for the collection of duty. Realising these facts, traders will no doubt congratulate the Chancellor on the very cheap popularity he has obtained. " Tho abolition represents an annual saving to tho average family of five persons of only 12s. It is difficult from a study of the effect of reductions in past years to understand the confidence expressed by certain sections of the trade that freedom from duty will bring an assured increase in consumption and consequent advance in values. Allowing for child non-tea consuming population, the actual consumption per capita is probably about 151b. Is there any justification for anticipating any serious increase on this figure ? " Dutch producers will probably hnve the greatest cause for congratulation. The imposition of a preferential duty on British-grown teas gave them a remarkable introduction to all other markets. Having secured the benefit of this, they are now relieved from any disadvantage in the British market." The duty was 3}d on Empire tea and 4d on foreign tea. The cost of the remission was estimated at £6,150.000 in the current year and £50,000 more in a full year.