SOARING PRICES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 90, 10 January 1920, Page 7

SOARING PRICES

WHITE LEAD AND WALL PAPMS. Prices for almost all importations'conti nuo to soar sky-high—and the end is not yet. There is not a merchant or, indent agent but who can tell a despairing tale as to the manner.in which lilies ho is interested in aro jumping in price,, and none can give any idea, as to when the situation is likely to become-easier,', there boing apparently no solution to' Ilio myriad problems that ai'e facing the manufacturers abroad. One indent firm m Wellington, which handles a largo -number of agencics, was lamenting the fact that advices had been received stating that Jlio price of white lead was quoted (in London) at ,£75 ss. per lon, which meant .£9O to £05 a ton in New Zealand. America was in s.uch a plight that sho could not quote, though ordinarily the bulk of our white lead came from that country. Australian prices were a littlo easier, but in that case they, as a, rule, took their cue from the London price, so that there was very little hope of relief from that quarter. The pre-war price for white lead was from i'2s to ,C 27 10s. per toil. Tho prices of all varnishes wero also soaring. Only thic! weok agents in Wellington for somo American varnishes had received orders by .cable to cancel all lists, meaning, that for tho time being they wero unablo to quote at all. .Another allied line that was reflecting tho prevailing appreciation was wall papers. A cablegram was received as late as' Monday last from London advising the Now Zealand agents- of a 20 per cent. rise, and American manufacturers in (hat lino had cancelled all lists for the present. From his correspondence our informant deduced that labour was tho seat of tho trouble. Not, only was skilled labour difficult lo secure, but the men, whilst receiving wages equal to double the prewar rates, wero only producing about half the quantity. In that manner was labour answering the urgent, call for more intense production. Tho "go-slow" microbe had infected tho whole world of labour, and tho public had to pay the piper. Such conditions,. The Domi.vjo.v informant opined, could only bo cured by a big slump, which possibly was not so far off as some people imagined.