WELLINGTON NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143980, 24 December 1912, Page 3

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Dec. 23. . The weather has kept fine for the Christmas shopping qnd moap of the retail stores have been crowded with purchasers. Apparently, -however, the amount of. money- being: spent: is less than last year. The financial stringency and ■ a slackening of extravagant expenditure are no doubt factors in making for, the- changed condition. Just- at present, the. weather shpvpp, signs of a change and the prospects for the dustman holidays throughout the Dominion are not altogether -favourable.

Evidently the Federation, of Labour is making further appeals to Australian unions for financial assistance. At the last meeting ox the Wellington Trades Council a cable message, was;read from a, large association of workers in Jnistyalia stating that it had been, contributing ’-.to, the. Wailu and Reefton strike funds, but as the Waihi trouble was now .over,-they '(the senders) could not understand- why, a ,further, appeal was being madq. Tho. message, says the Dost report, asked the Trades Council to give an expression of opinion as to whether further financial, assistance, was .necessary. The, council, ■, after ■ sorae, discussion, decided, to* remain, neutral in', the. matter, as It has, been doing right through the whole of-the! dispute/ It was decided? to cable” that the.cphncih wou}d not give,any advice. . ' -’v. The rise in the price of. butter here does, not seem to ‘he altogether justifiable. The rise, says the Post, is not general, however, for'other-well known butters of what- are known .as standard.,’ brands remain unchanged. -From, some quarters it has been learned that fncttpries, are nqt-tiriauimbusly, in favoured • the rise of Id ;per: pound,-,and besidjesj some: bp. the. distributing, housesf lwhile 1 admitting-that, there, is a good demand for tuq butter, on the, part of the, London and Vancouver markets, hold also that the prices, are , not>-sufficient-"to warrant the- raising of any brands sold in Wellington as much as Id per lb.; that, in short, the rise : is-' a purely ‘‘Christinas” advance. The best known brands ol first grade butter on the Wellington) market to-day range from 12d per pound tor.lSJdi per.pound whqlc-i sale. The 13|<1, is subject to; a discount of-Id per pound for cash, and the 12d butter-is sold net pricer Xxioal-. expor.ting houses to-day ;- report receiving:: inquiries from London at ’from. 12i_d; to L:lrJ per, pound on. the ship hcro lof-lm-i mediate export, showing-, a, tendency, for the London butter market. to rise in •price. ■ ■ -i. ■:, ■