THE BREAKFAST TABLE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20044, 6 September 1920, Page 7

THE BREAKFAST TABLE

RETAIL PRICE MOVEMENTS, SENSATIONAL DROP IN COCOA. SUGAR RATION CUT DOWN. In the grocery trade, the sensation of the week lias befiu the drop in the prico or Cadbury’s breakfast cocoa. I'ho prices for Bournoville are now;— la 2d for the small tin, 2s did lor the half-pound tine, and 4s (id for tho onepound tin. “ Tho reduction of one shilling a pound took the trade by surprise,” said a retailor this morning. “Heavy stocks aro held at tho old price. :\o reason is given, of course. The big Quaker firm of Cadbury’s docs not say very much at any time, it acts. It was tho first to jump up prices six months ago. iNow it is tho first to cut down.” i'ho price of best loose cocoa has been reduced by 6d a pound. It can bo bought for 2s 6d. . The retail prioo of tea is unaltered. Tho latest report from Colombo says that high prices arc being paid on tho wholesale market for fine flavoured teas, and that there is a firm to rising market tor lower and medium grades. .bacon and hams have been advanced by one penny a pound. Best rashers of bacon cost 2s a pound and cuts from Is 6d to Is 9d. Ham sells at Is IW a pound. Stocks of New Zealand marmalade are coming On to the Christchurch market at Is a pound. Tho retail I l ™ o Js 2d. it was 5d last season. Tho egg supply is improving steadily. The recognised price for top grades is 2s a dozen. They can still be bought tor 2s 4d in several suburban shops. Consumers aro asked To prepare for a further increase in the price of cheese. Tor dairy cheese the nrc«cnt retail price is Is 2d or l s 3d, with the latest wholesale rates from Is to Is Old. Iho first week of October will see the new butter rates in operation. An Auckland business roan said tho other day that, owing to tho recent very high manufacturing cosls, tho retail price would hare to be raised to 3s a pound. Croat Britain, he said, had oifered to pay 280s per cwt, f.0.b., for butter, a sum that would enable'tho largo daily companies to pay. out approximately 2s 8d a pound for butter fat, and give a return to the producer on a parity with chec.se. Another authority argues that, even with the export selling price 2s 6d a pound, f.0.b., 3s would be a fair figure to charge the consumer, allowing L}d a pound to provide lor distribution from wholesaler to retailer, and a further 15 per cent upon cost to the retailer for his work. The retail price in Australia, is 2sT?d ,a pound for an inferior article. Good butter in Lngland has been selling at os a pound lor a long time. Sugar i s being s (, r j c tjy rationed. The majority of tho retail shops in Christchurch have cut their customers down o one pound a week. Some shops have nob an ounce in stock. “So far as 1 can sec wo will not get anv more sugar until the Auckland works reopen ” said a retailoK “ Then there will have to be a boat to bring it down and wo will probably hare to wait on the pleasure of the Union Company.” A Colombo Street merchant "telegraphed to tho works for five tons of raw sugar, but ho haa had no reply, iiio raw sugar may bo black, treacly or brown. Samples are expected m a lew days. Serious hardship "is being caused bv ho shortage of sugar. .Restaurants have had to replace the bowl with two lumps on the! saucer, and hotels are shepherding their stocks. The catering business has received a setback, and confectionery works aro almost idle- “ Pity tho poor groqor!” said one shopkeeper. “If people don’t get sugai they don t want fruit to stow, or rice to make pudding with, or currants to make cake with. Our sales are getting a; nasty jar. The only consolation is that no one has"rushed into tho thop and blackguarded ns about the scarcity. That was a. regular occurrence before the price went up.” There is a run on honey. The retail price is 10d a pound in bulk. Ratos for mutton showed a slight decline at tho last Addington sale. In some cases meat retail prices have dropped in sympathy, but the movement is not general. Butchers say that the supply does not warrant auy alteration. An interesting' list showing price comparisons is furnished by a correspondent. Those ruling in 191(3-17 aro given in brackets:—Bread lid four lb loaf (Sd); butter Is 9d (Is 7d, winter); eggs 2s (2s Cd, winter); meat TOd (7d to 9d); milk 7d a quart (3d a quart); jam, small tin Is ((id); sugar "bid a pound (3d); candles Is 2d a packet (5d and I'd); soap Is 6d a bar (lid): kerosene 27s a case (9s); coal 5s (id a bag (3s); flour Ha per 501b bag (5s (id and 7s (id), oatmeal 7s (id per 251b bag (3s 6d): cream of tarter 3s a pound (Is 2d a, pound). As far as food prices go, Christchurch seems to ho the cheapest of tho four centres to lire in. According Ui an official statement, the amount required to pure-base, during the June quarter of 192(1, that amount of food which would cost on the average 20s in 1913 was .-—Auckland 34s (ted, Wellington 355, Christchurch 34s -id, Dunedin 34s 9'jd; average for four centres? 31s Sfd. The corresponding figures for the June quarter ol 1919 were-—Auckland 80s 7d, Wellington 3Ls IJd, Christchurch 28s 10id, Dunedin 30s 31 d; four centres 30s 2)d. The “cost of living” index for tho three food_ groups for July is 1791, an increase of -19 points as compared with the June number. Tho rise was almost wholly due to tho higher cost of sugar. The manager of Anlsebrook and Co. said this morning that as tho result of the sugar strike, nearly three hundred of the firm’s employees were out of work. An effort had been made to secure a shipment of raw sugar, but there seemed little hope of any coming to hand. The manager of Dainties, Lid., said that his company’s works were practically closed. _ The position would not improve until the men in Auckland resumed.