THE SUGAR SHORTAGE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1909, 18 November 1913, Page 6

THE SUGAR SHORTAGE.

WHY THERE ARE NO BIG STOCKS. . Inquiry was, made yesterday. as to why tlie stocks of sugar held ill Wellington woro BO tow as to be affected by a fortnight's closing of the potts One merchant who has boon concerned ' in the importation of sugar for many years past agreed that the question was a pertpiont oiitoj and gave as his reason that tlio shortness was directly attributable to th®"p*&ssißg of tlio- Commercial Trusts Act. "By tlie passing of (ho Act," ho explained, "the merchant was placed in the position of ail indent '■ agent, and was deprived of, the small consideration that induced him to hold stocks. We. used to get 5 per cent, as distributing ageute, which, when it was all boiled down, used to mean about 3} per cent, profit. It wasn't n'vucli, hut still it was sufficient for us to buy largo instead of small lots. Now that there is .next to nothing in sugar, only enough is imported to meet the current (Ten:and. To-day tho grocer is in tho same po.siti.on as wo aw as far as buying is concerned. Ho only ■ imports sufficient-to keep liiin going, a'iid so when a crisis arrives like tho present ciiio.j tlioro is no quantity in stock, and prices go up at once."