SOAP AND CANDLES

Hokitika Guardian, 24 March 1920, Page 3

SOAP AND CANDLES

PRESENT-DAY PRICES. WELLINGTON BUSINESS MAN ON POSITION. An advance which has already been effected in Wellington is announced in advices from Christchurch to have been made in the price of New Zealand made soaps. The increase is about £4 per ton, making a retail difference of an extra penny per bar. To a “New Zealand Times” reporter yesterday tbc representative of a wellknown Wellington firm of merchant 1 ! ’Said: “Soap? Yes, it is up, and I hope the price has reached the maximum. People think this sort of thing pleases us. Let me say that it is quite the contrary. Look at these stock-sheets showing what we have paid, and these invoices detailing what we have to pay. On February 19th soap was purchased by us at £52 10s per ton, while ou March 10th the price of the same soap had been advanced to £6O per ton — an advance of £7 10s per ton in three weeks! What else can we do but increase our prices

“As to candles: They were advanced id per lb some time ago, and 1 am not too confident about the present position and the possibility of another increase. Candles are very scarce—the supply of fat has apparently fallen off. Wax candles are scarce—very scarce Tho supply is short—very short. A large cargo recently went dow n in a steamer near Panama, and this has had considerable effect on the New Zealand supply—at any rate at present. Then Biirmah candles recently went up 3d , )er lb—a substantial increase—from Is to Is 3d per lb. I do hope the end of high prices is near. Don’t think that high prices mean increased profits in every case. In some instances it. means decreased sales and a position as unsatisfactory to the supplier as it is to the consumer.”