HIGHLY PRICED CHRISTMAS FARE FOR AUSTRALIANS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26958, 18 December 1948, Page 7

HIGHLY PRICED CHRISTMAS FARE FOR AUSTRALIANS

From C. R. Mentiplay, NZPA Special Correspondent SYDNEY, Dec. 17. Indications are that this Christmas in Australia will be the most lavish in nine years and the most expensive in history. Very few items of Christmas cheer will be entirely unprocurable, but many will be out of reach of people in the lower and even the middleincome groups. Hams and turkeys, which in. past years were in the “ under counter ” class, are now in full display in shop windows, with reminders to housewives not to leave their ordering tbo late. Housewives, however, study the prices of turkeys at 3s 9d a lb. mentally deduct £3 from their Christmas shopping allowance as the price of a medium-sized ham, and move on regretfully. Australia will be having its first post-war Christmas without meat rationing, and the less expensive joints of lamb and beef will be in keen competition with the more traditional heavy Christmas fare. Pork has not yet joined the forces of liberation. Its price puts it in the poultry class, and its scarcity makes its purchase a lottery. Liquid refreshments are plentiful, but their supply depends largely on local knowledge. Australian gin, rum and wines are in abundance at what New Zealanders would regard as extremely low prices. The beer position, however, is regarded as serious, and is actually worse than at any other time since the end of the war. There are no casual purchases. At most hotels clients who have shown a long record of faithful service have received notice that they will receive a bonus at Christmas. They will be permitted to purchase four instead of the usual two bottles, which are the fortnightly allowance on their unofficial ration cards. For thirsty people who are also wealthy, there is a fair supply of English and Scottish beers to be purchased In dozen lots at from 3s 10a to 4s 2d a bottle. For those whose taste does not run to overseas brews, black market operators have a clandestine range of local beers at from 4s to 5s a bottle. The fixed price for local beer is still Is 7d, which, according to some experts, is why so little ap-/ pears for sale over the counter. Shopkeepers report that they are doing from 10 to 25 per cent, more business than last Christmas. Popular lines include washing machines at £l5O, French ' perfumes at £lB a bottle, large boxes of imported cigars, grandfather clocks at £45, electric razors at £7 7s, and expensive imported mechanical toys.