FOOD PRICES IN WAR TIME

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2222, 7 August 1914, Page 6

FOOD PRICES IN WAR TIME

- FINANCE MINISTER'S HINT \ POSTSCRIPT TO THE BUDGET "Tho Statement I havo just read," said 3 the Minister .of Finance ■■■ (Hon. Jamea i Allen), in,-,concludiog his Budget speech . last evening, -"was in;print'before tho f: -Empire -became -involved' in. war with • all; its'terrible consequences. The Gov- ■ 6rnment desires most' earnestly to impress -upon -our merchants and traders, i both; wholesale and retail, and-- distribui tors, ■ho w cruel it will be 'to attempt by.. >, any'ri66 in. prices of foodstuffs to reap 1 advantage outofthe present trouble, and . how patriotic those people will be con- : aiderad who even at some sacrifice retain I" the level of ...prices of, foodstuffs in exist- [ enco before .this-crisis eventuated. ■ "I have every confidence that: this .warning is unnecessary,; but the public i may rest assured of this: that tho Gov- , ornment' has; for some "days past had i under consideration the necessity for ac- / tive"steps to, prevent a rise'in/the price ■ pf foodstuffs, and if it is found th»t legisi ' latibri , is' necessary . Parliainont will be i asked .'to' passthat legislation, arid to makb i it-retrospectivo if need;bo."-.. ' PROTEST IN THE- CITY COUNCIL . '.THE MAYOR'S STATEMENT.'. '.. : The pripe of'foodstuffs in the city was referfbd'to-at, last night's'meeting of the ' Wellington- City Council. -.■-'' ; Councillor/J. E.-Fitzgerald asked -the Mayor if-he .was aware'that the neces- ' sariei of life".;had.' shown a marked increase .ill price, in the,last few days. "I . don't.kri.ow.'whether.it is'in the province of .• the -council,"'.' 'continued Councillor ; .'Fitzgerald,! "but I would'like to see you, sir; as MayOrbf.hho'city.'takesbme stand in .this matter. I would like to give the ■ council, an'instance'of what has been 1 brought under 'hiy'.. notice. -A gunner who 1 was/earriing:',£4 a/week'has been called ; into the* forts, where he will receive i!l tfls.. per. 'wefik;..That,/.he. says, .ho does ript mirid;.;it"ig a /sacrifice lie is quitb willing to make.'-But he.does object:andprotest .against', this—that .as,-soon -as-he goes/into. the.fort,tho price of his neces--Bnries;bf life: areinci-eased:,;. I think that . the Mayor should' make': soriie ■ representa--.tions'to;,the.Govbrnmentttb':the.'eU'eot':that '■' they -should take, -'very/'drastic stepssomething; similar, to-those taken, in other • /countries; '.I.:-hope th'at-the'Mayor :'will . not'shirk: this important duty." •'; . .The ; Mayo'r. : (Mr.".J,,P. Luke) said that, ■; :li*had 'on/Wednesday called bnthe.Prime .' Mihister,.(tho.;Hon'.'W./]?.'-■ Massey), arid: askbd' : him.'tP,.''iiiake.a'.declaration in,the House \to'.the .effect-,'that; the cost of foodstuffs' 'would/not- be increased'to. the people ,of.New.. Zealand. ..He.-thought that the. .Govefriroent should declare that no matter ■ what I'io people had- to pass through,'no. man; woman, or. child should havo ' to.' suffer hunger. (Hear, hear.) .! ■/Councillor E. Tregear said that it was only natural, .that , there should be increases in imported produce owing to the higher, insurances and thenar, risks, but I there., slioul'd'/be rib increased on "goods " produced in,the Dominion,-and it would bo'mdnstroiis if. anyone' endeavoured to , make' capital put of the poorer classes. : , Cauncillor' L. M'Kenzie,-said-that the , increase, was not only on'necessaries of ; life,' but• also on such' things,as;pluanbing, .-Arid ho hopedy therefore",-that'the councilwould not bi too, hard on peoplo in making them 'carry-.out' regulations... (Hear,•hear.) '. ! '.'•-. ,! ' :' lt .was rom'arkod by ..Councillor W: J.Thompson that only : flour had increased, (ind-.that ,-the' millers wero..perfectly justified in .getting -a better price, \ because' . they. had., ..been working at.'. a . loss. ! (Laughter.) . .-',}' ... ■..'.. "■ .-.■;.". ".;'.'.' ;;THE,PRICE.OP;FLOUR ;V : .STATEMENT -BY DISTRIBETING^ ; ;■.;■ V -'.! COMPANY.; ( ; ,. - : ... ■*■; • (By, Telegraph-Press • Association,). Christchurch, August 6. The New Zealand Flour and Produce : Agency Company 'has. issued tho' following statement with referenco to tto re-cently-published . statement on .'"the qu'es- ;■ Hon of'.the/supposed-increased prices of .flour, "arid .with referenco '.to ,stateriients' made: in'rthe "House "of. Ropresenhatives :— !/We Svish "on .behalf bf.;our.rcompariyto make'! the'fbjlowing'statements:; .' . ' ; "(1)'; This'.-.company reeeritly. purchased' th'e.a'ssests of ,the; New Zealaiid Floiir :Millers'.-;■' Co-operative Asiociationi./Ltd.,' from: the', liquidators, and' is ■'■carrying-, on ; the' agenoy ;b'usihess cpunected/thefewith.' It represerits,', ; *Or ,tho purpose of .'sellirig flour; nineteen .'mills,';.whose', total 'output is/150 ■ sacks per .;In addition/to this; there arp in'Ne.w/Zoalanda'number, ot/mills whoseritotal! output. :capacity is; about '170 sacks, per/hour, selling individually- andthrougn; various agents. .•;■'.-'..', ":'■-'•. . "(2)' The, price of!flour quoted.;by' this company,-'oh, behalf; of ■ the millers. it - re-'' . presents, has: -lot, as stated. by a member of the House 'of Representatives,'been cently. raised £2 per. ten." Although -the prices!quoted !are-charged- by other millers employing this agencymay have been; and'insomp cases havc/ljoeri.so^raised!! "(3) The price, of all 'brands quoted by this,.company .was'.advanced. with , good reason on July ; '3lby p'er ton,-making . the wholesale price; £11 per' ton,. on'-.'the basi9; of.' 2001b.' sacks, with ' a proportionate difference -in various districts.;'(these di ribti .however; affect., this., particular qilisstion), and no flour has been 'sold f.dlb. op' agents in'any part,of New Zealand; <' .".'■". • . ', '■ .•■'■.:'■ -~.:■• ■/• ~;. Excited Public. ■: !"(4)'. A very".large i portion of. this company s-business is in -the 'North' Island, ■whereas' all tho flour it sells is.':niariufactured iri the South Tslarid, , and owing.to ! the unprecedented rnshfor flour in, Otago, the mills with whom'we are connected in that district find'it almosf impossible to assist" for" the North Island, arid this! business .is thrown .Oamarui/ Timavii, and Christchurch. ' In 'Christchuroh,"-as.in other:largo centres,, tlere'ltas been: an .unprecedented and .unwarranted !rush for-flour, by an: excited public, : wliich' has almost! .forced the manufacturers to increase the price. In the face of -this,; our .millers, have steadily, refused to advance thp price,'. because •to them such action\does not, seem warrant-ed,-aid we consider it-oii,v duty to"assist in-calming the public regarding the supply of' foodstuffs, Tather. than to increase . excitement. Flour that is.ibeing sent out by millers at the.rato of 70 tons per hour.bannot possibly.be going into immediate ! cbnsu nption. Owing to causes . which have led to this'position,-it is'only, fair that/everyone should'have a propor--tion,''and wo are forking to that end Tjy , J'efusirig in'some cases to supply at any price those who'are eyideritly.Speculating ,to the'-detrimont of thoso, who. cannot af- , ford! to do so! . \. '■.., ■:.,: . •'"-.". State' Institutions, ; /' , , ' '.'Thc.G«» ; -ra,nent Departments are ap- ■ 'porently not assisting : the position, as the. > only one we supply is at this moment . asking us under contract conditions to t '■'svpplV 'immediately more flour than they i UMialK- lake in- three months ' If ...the : State.'institatians and public will act reaeonabhi'bii'd' be content with ordinary -i •reqniremea'ts,. nflr 'inilleis anticipate'' be- < in" ; ablo to' supply, from .existing stocks, ; Prix-average.riionthlV'output for the"'re-.. / hili'indor'of-the'year, at! least. Holders j -are,- ip; some cases asking 59. and Gs...Gd. a , 'bushel,, which, if"giVon by the millers, ', .would- necessitate a rise of .«3 or £i a ton in .'the-price of flour. Cpnsumers can ] ■ prevent this increase.by refraining from. , p'ariic methods.. '.We think it-atlvisable to niake\ these" statements-,of .fact,'in view of the attitude, of buyers. \ • ; ."For the New Zealand Floui" and .Produce Agency (.ompany,. Ltd., i !. "HENRY WOOD,, chairman of direc- , tors. ; - -. - "DENIS , HOARD, general manager, . .''Christchurch, August.C." . , . ".. .. '!!! —-;—^ — ~^~ — ' ! The Amalgamated Society of. Carpeiftcrs arid'.Tbiners! has unanimously decided l. to support the Trades arid .Labour" Council • and the'Petoite'Roihyny Workshops Em- i I'plpvees-in .their, protests against ■ the' ex- 1 I ploitation'of 'the.'people by the. urijvar- I ranted vise in the price of foodstuffs, ] i