MORE EXPENSE

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1565, 8 October 1912, Page 4

MORE EXPENSE

LAUNDRY BILLS RISING. European firms in. the launch? business in Wellington have decided to put up the pries of certain items of our weekly wash, and an announcement in. general terms has already been published. The inevitable question "Why?" was put to a representative, of a leading laundry establishment by a Dominion reporter yesterday. The official announcement had set out that the rise in prices hod followed from the increased cost of "raw materials and other commodities." This, it was explained to the reporter, referred principally, to storoh, and the staple ingredients) of soap—some of the bigger firms make their own soap. Within the !asl few months starch lias risen by nearly 10s., while tallow has gone np by about os. As usual, a proportion of tho rise has been "passed on" to the customer.

The indispensable collar has jumped from ljd. to 3d. The white shirt remains at Gd., but the "neglige" shirt Ims jumped one penny (from sd. to Gd.), and so ou. Tho lady of the rouse has by this time, no doubt, fully grasped the details of that which has been passed on.

Desirous of <]ivi ring |]| 0 intentions of the Oriental section of tho industry, the reporter sought 6peech of one Joe Lee, and presented a "pidgin" .statement of what had happened in the "Eulopoan" section. Mr. Joe Lee smiled blandly. "At* li'," said he. "Alloc same now." Which, being Mibspqucntly interpreted, meant that the Chinese lnundrymen had previously l>een doing business at a higher rote than his "Uulopcan Hen."