PRICE OF ONIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1549, 4 September 1905, Page 3

PRICE OF ONIONS.

The New Zealand Herald's Dunedin correspondent telegraphed last week ! " The fact that the homely onion has positively become an artiole of luxury is no doubt largely due to the speculation or produce agents in Victoria, who have cornered the market.. A member of a leaning firm of produce merchants, interviewed here, reckons, however, that there is a hole in the corner, and that housewives will soon reap the benefit, Ho states: ‘The scaroity of onions is, firstly, owing to the cold and backward season in the oolony. The New Zealand crop all round has been short, and the ooionsfrom Canterbury too soft and not of keeping quality. As they were giving out, we fell back on Australia for supplies. The beßt of tho Australian onions arß grown in Victoria, and, immediately tho Victorian people heard of the shortage, they formed a syndicate, which purchased largely and sent up the price to almost prohibitive prices. Then came consignments from America by the last mail steamer, and from Japan. Those onions, however, were landed in baa condition. Our San Vrancisoo shipper wrote to ns by that mail that tho heat wave whioh passed over California had destroyed hundreds of tone of ohoica onions that were ready for ship raont. As soon as the Victorian syndicate heard of tliß bad condition tff the Californian and Japanese onione up they sent their price. Our last quotation by oable from Melbourne was £lB a ton, whioh means £2l landed here. The reply yre sent was that tho quotation was excessive, and that as onions were to a certain extent a luxury, the people here could do without them rather than pay 3d a lb, whioh is what I reckon tho retailer would have to charge if thoy coat os £2l a ton. A fresh supply is now to hand by the American steamer, which got to Auckland on Monday. Her freight includes a fair quantity of onions for Dunedio, and, though I have not yet got my invoicos, I think the price will be from £l3 to £ls a ton—that is about tho ordinary price for American onionß ot this time of tho year, after the Victorian have become valueless fay sprouting-’ ”