SUGAR

Southland Times, Issue 18962, 8 June 1923, Page 6

SUGAR

QUESTION OF SUPPLIES. ‘AMPLE AVAILABLE.” (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 7. During his brief visit to Christchurch this week, the Secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce, Mr J. W. Collins, was waited upon by representatives of all leading merchants in Christchurch ai regard to the present position of the sugar supplies. Mr W. Botteril, on behalf of the deputation, stressed the difficulties that had occurred in meeting the local demand for sugar, which was alleged to be due in part to short shipments by the regular boats from Auckland and to the increased supplies given to manufacturers. In reply, Mr Collins stated that he would make inquiries regarding the question of short shipments. He assured the deputation that supplies had been distributed quite equitably between the merchants and the manufacturers. Tn regard to sugar supplies generally, the Government was making available to all traders sufficient sugar for all normal requirements. Owing, however, to the fact recently publicly announced by the Prime Minister that the demand for sugar had been so abnormal as to absorb an extra quantity of approximately 5,000 tons during the recent jam season, a mild system of rationing had been resorted to whereby customers were being restricted to quantities equivalent to their purchase made during the normal period, when no restrictions whatever existed and merchants were free to order their full trade requirements. Mr Collins said that there was ample raw sugar available at the refinery in Auckland to give a weekly output of refined sugar in excess of the normal consumption. This output would be mainI tained right up to the period of completion 1 of the Government control in August next. Regarding complaints made by many grocers and consumers that they cannot purchase sugar with the same facilities as during this period last year, Mr Collins replied that if this was the case the ordinary distribution—apart from the demand due to increased population last year—was being departed from. Inquiries made by the Government into sugar transactions between * merchants and grocers showed that there l was a good deal of duplication of orders by |grocers who were buying sugar from.several I sources instead of adhering to their regular supplier. Some grocers were thus able to supply extra sugar in the hope of securing new general customers. This phase was fully discussed by the deputation and Mr Collins promised that if complaints continued in Christchurch, an investigation would be made into the stocks and those who were hoarding supplies and not playing the game with their customers would run the risk of having their supplies of sugar curtailed.