FOOD PRICES IN AUSTRALIA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17083, 15 August 1917, Page 6

FOOD PRICES IN AUSTRALIA

WHARF LABOURERS' STRIKE,

(From Ons Own Ookbespondevt.)

Tf tho i -i i SYDNEY, August 9. ■? .k reason of the big New South Wales striko gains for the strikers rP" b , llc sympathy, the people have found themselves unable to bitterly disapprove of the action of the Melbourne wharf lumpers. who dicchne to handle any food carW,X Sie overseas until food prices in levels. brOUgM back to P«™ J l6 avera p. Person, who is not Mnri' tr t deep analysis of obscure causes and effects, is irritated every time he has °roamn a Austra ' ian stores are ? i 1 5 Wl , :^eir enormous loads of ■ ooc stuffs, much of which is deteriorating ■vhile waitme for the scarce shipping to vr J,° th , e hun Sry markets in Europe Meanwhile, the Australian retail prices of Pvon S A? nie co I mmcx!jt ' cs s °ar and soar, and Can und . crstand th at there " r -" . tab T ly a connection between high prices in London and; prices in Australia Ura have r l that j tho , Australian authorial*h£ « d ' spl , ayed a Rentable weakness n their control over market prices. There i r V° doubt that the people are being l'k£ atcl { systematically exploited, though not to the extent suggested by the present war prices. So it can be understood that the wharf labourers, dealing broadly with the issues, 5?" I re ?, ardc d sympathetically in. the drastic step they have .taken. Of course, jr°. e ,? portor ® aff U P m arms, and protest that the watersiders are usurping the functions _ of the Government— which is true and in this lies the. fatal weakness of their ca ® e - • Just how the struggle will develop -it is difficult at this moment to see. A vessel is to load foodstuffs this week for Java and other Eastern ports, and the wharf men say most emphatically that these foodstuffs are not to be loaded. If the men persist in their attitude—and, so far they are quite uncompromising— >-a verv serious .position may arise. The men say th ?J. ' load! all foodstuffs required • for military purposes oversea, but they will not load other food for oversea or for Australian ports where it may be transhipped. The exporters have appealed to the Government, and the Government, quite possibly, will take action which will precipitate a crisis. But, if it is wise, it will recognise that it has not acted so as to ™ the confidence of' the" people in its efforts to discourage food and will seek to placate the enterprising "wharf men.

i these wlla rf men refused to load 50 tons of onions for New Zealand.lhe New Zealand agent, Mr Manson, informed them that half were for the New Zealand soldiers and half for local consumption. So they loaded the 25 tons for the soldiers.. Mr Manson protested that to cut out the. 25 tons for New Zealand consumption would inflict hardships on New Zealand workers. "Wo are cruel to bo kind, said the watersiders. "Why should onions be shipped to New Zealand, when they are at famine prices in Melbourne?" Sbmuar treatment is being extended to a? large quantity of foodstuffs which is due to go by steamer to New Zealand this week. The wharf lumpers are thorough. • They had commenced, last Thursday, to load onions into a steamer for Sydney, when someone noticed that the bags were labelled "Fiji." They, promptly unloaded the onions already aboard, and. declined to handle any more of them.