MOVE TO INCREASE PRICE OF RESTAURANT MEALS

Chronicle (Levin), 9 October 1947, Page 5

MOVE TO INCREASE PRICE OF RESTAURANT MEALS

WELLINGTON, Oet. 8. Priees of restaurant meals throughout New Zealand. will probably be increased before the end of the month. The seei'etary of the Wellington' Restaurant and Grill Room Proprietors' Association (Mr. J. K. Purdie) stated in an interviow that the case for increased priees would be presented tc the Economic Stabilisation Commission witliin the next few days. The Minister-in-Oharge of Stabilisa tion, he added, had indicated that the case would be heard as quicltly as possible. _ ' ' Manufacturers can hold up produc'tion till price adjustments are made," said Mr. Purdie, "but you can't sit 011 fish find chips. Priees of tea, bacon and sugar are All' up, and meat has jumped abouti 20 per eent.„ and bread may go up, too. Lots of other inereases have had. to be met as well. In addition it is possible that some wage in tfreases maj^ have to be met as a resuil of the recent general increase granted by the Court of Arbitration. " Mr. Purdie said that the applieratiSr) for price increas-es ha'd been lodged with the Price Investigation TribunaJ some time ago, but had been held np pending information from restaurants in some districtS. This had how been snpplied and a quick decision was antieipated. Mr. Purdie said no price increases had been granted restaurant proprietors since June, 1943, and they w6re now operating at a loss. ' ' *