MAKING ENDS MEET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23810, 17 May 1939, Page 10

MAKING ENDS MEET

THE HOUSEKEEPER'S WORRIES DIFFICULT WINTER AHEAD PRICES CONTINUE TO SOAR The task of balancing the household budget promises to be a fair more difficult one this winter than ever in the past, for in nearly every direction the house-keeper is faced with rising prices. The most noticeable rises will be in the prices of foodstuffs either through crop failures or import restrictions; but, in addition, the housewife will have to pay considerably more this winter for fuel and clothing. In sympathy with the rising prices for foodstuffs and because of higher wages, it is practically certain that restaurant and tea rooms proprietors will be compelled to increase in the near future their charges for meals. The only ray of sunshine piercing the winter gloom is that several representatives of English houses who are visiting Dunedin have expressed the opinion that the import restrictions may be lifted or substantially moderated when Mr Nash returns after his talk with the British Government. If this comes about, the shortage in some lines may be less serious and prices may show a corresponding fall, but this, of course, will apply only to overseas goods, so that it is only a minor consideration. Increased Grocer's Bill The weekly or monthly grocery bill will be substantially larger in every household this winter, for some sharp increases have been made in the past 12 months. Butter, for example, has risen from Is 4d to Is 6d cash since last winter, and this means a big thing in most households. Sugar has risen fairly steadily recently, the price for a 701 b bag at present being 20s 9d, compared with 18s last winter. This increase will have its effects on other lines such as confectionery, biscuits, and jam, which are all expected to show slight increases soon. Flour is another necessary foodstuff that has risen, a 251 b bag costing 4s 6d to-day compared with 4s 2d last winter. First grade honey has risen from 9d to Is per lb in the past 12 months. All these items figure fairly prominently on the winter grocery list. Serious Crop Failures Crop failures and import restrictions have had a considerable influence on the rise in price in many popular lines. The potato crop has not been a pood one and it appears that potatoes will be very expensive this winter. At the present time King Edwards are selling at from £lO to £ll a ton, compared with £5 to £6 a year ago. This increase is a serious matter for the housekeeper as potatoes are a very important meal item. Onions are also in short supply with an increase in price of 50 per cent. The pea crop was practically a failure last summer with the result that dried, split, and tinned peas will all be in short supply this winter and will be dear. Dried peas were sold at 2id per lb last winter, but are being retailed at 4Jd at present and split peas have risen from 3d to 4d. Tinned peas will be in short supply and are already showing a vise of Id a tin. Tomatoes have also been in short supply and the canning companies are able to meet only a quarter of the orders. The various tomato products will, therefore, be far dearer this winter than last. In view of the fact that fresh vegetables are expected to be in short supply, the scarcity and high price of these tinned and dried substitutes promise to give the housekeeper a fair amount of concern in the coming months. One of the most serious consequences of the import restrictions will be the shortage of tinned salmon, which is a particularly popular item on the week's menu in many households. No more salmon will be allowed into the country and prices are already rising and promise to go higher. Second grade salmon sold at lid a large tin last winter and already it is being retailed at Is 2d, first grade showing a larger increase from Is lid to 2s 3d. Other tinned products from overseas also show price increases. Fuel and Clothing: . Two important items of expenditure on the housekeeper's books are always fuel and clothing, but in winter time both totals seem to loom particularly large. Coal has risen a few shillings a ton in the past year. Linton, for example, has increased from 63s 6d to 65s a ton, booked, and Kaitangata from 54s to 575. Other items on the fuel bill have risen similarly. Owing to the import restrictions, clothing and footwear from overseas show marked increases in price, and rising costs and wages have added a few pence to the price of New Zealand-made goods. Increase in Restaurant Meals The proprietor of a leading city restaurant told an Otago Daily Times reporter yesterday that an increase in the price of meals is inevitable in the near future. Apart from increased wages, everything that he had to buy at the present time, he said, had risen. Groceries, vegetables, and fruit were all soaring in price and the restaurants would be compelled to pass on these increases to their customers. No decision had yet been arrived at, but it was certain that increases would be made this winter. The nublic always objected to increases in the price of restaurant meals but it was only what was happening in their own homes, and they should realise that restaurants were not philanthropic institutions.