J.M. READING, Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent, London.

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 December 1950, Page 5

J.M. READING, Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent, London.

High Prices

Reports from Continental capitals say the Christmas spirit is as festive as ever, but echo complaints of high prices. In Paris, walking, talking dolls, with rubber flesh that looks like the real thing, are the wistful focus of many little French girls—wistful because they cost £9. The Flench are paying dearly, too, for table decorations, which are such a feature their Christmas—eighteen pence for a paper Father Christmas three inches high is typical. In Berlin you can dial a number and a voice answers: “Good morning. This is Father Christmas speaking!” It is the idea of a young journalist who opened a “Father Christmas office” with Father Christmases ready to go to any address at a fee ranging from £1 to £5, according tc the service required. In Switzerland housewives can buy infrared grill which cooks by ' infrared rays. It is claimed that it cooks a mixed Itfrill in 30 seconds and a roast chicken in seven minutes. The jrice is £25. The Swiss will be eating their Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve—roast goose, followed by baskets of nuts and fruit. In Sweden fathers can buy for £5O the latest luxury model railway for their sons. The set is operated by remote radio control. A Christmas shock for Swedish households has been the Government’s decision to cancel subsidies on ham and bacon and increase tax on the national drink, schnapps. Haim, the traditional Christmas fare, consequently has risen by 9d a lb and schnapps has gone up from 17s 6d to £1 a bottle. In Russia the Christmas festival is not Christmas at all, but a ccelebra-1 1 tion of the Soviet New Year, and big preparations, as usual, have been i made. Moscow newspapers say that. | more than £14.000,000 has been spent on New Year trees in official clubs and canteens. Shops have the best . post-war display of food and presents, . but again comes the cry of prices that j are too high!