THE SUGAR SHORTAGE

Hokitika Guardian, 1 March 1921, Page 1

THE SUGAR SHORTAGE

Saturday’s Christchurch Press savs

the non-arrival of the steamer Knnna with sugar, which should .have been available in Christchurch last Monday, lias caused considerable worry to grocers. This vessel is hung up in Wellington with a quantity of sugar on hoard for this port. The delay is, of course, due to the waterside workers’ trouble in Wellington. ’The Kanmt is not likely to he in Lyttelton until after the trouble has been settled. The suggestion has been mooted by a Christchurch merchant that the Board of Trade should arrange with the Union Steam Ship Company to bring the Ivanna down to Lyttelton with the Wellington consignment of sugar still on hoard, and. to discharge it here, together with the Christchurch allotment. This could he easily done, liecause the Lyttelton waterside workers are as yet not concerned in the dispute , in the same manner as the AA’ellington workers. This would give Christchurch I a supply of the flinch wanted sugar, j as the AA'ellingtoij, allotment could he , distributed pro r|fa here, and help to overcome the ||resent famine. The | merchant pointed)'out that AVellington , could draw its supplies by rail from I Auckland at the extra cost of 16 per . ton for, railage, tvhicli could he added I by the grocer on to the cost to the, public. It is understood that already supplies are being railed to AA ellingtoii , for that city’s needs. Local merchants are also arranging to obtain supplies of sugar by rail Iron) Auckland to Wellington, thence shipment by the ferry boats to Lyttelton. This, as stated, will add fully lib per ton to the cost. The public should understand that the sugar they are constantly demanding from the grocers is not in the country. Cases have been/known where people , have accused greers of refusing to slip- , ply them with sugar, and have oecome , angry when the retailer his -applied only a few pounds instead of the h.i : i demanded. 1

ft is interesting to note that the Board of Trade and the Sugar Company do not give the distributing merchants any consideration in t:e matter of payments for sugar and syrup. A demand draft is drawn against every shipment. Several hundred tons of sugar now on board l-he Katina at AY el lington have all been paid for by local merchants, on whom demand drafts were drawn as usual, despite the lad that the sugar may not reach here tor an indefinite period. The hope is freely expressed that, when the Government control of sugar ( ,„ds in June next the line will once again heroine free, and that the Sugai Company will revert to the method of distribution in vogue before “he pient Government-contiol cam on. It ; s IT It that this'would he preferable to the present methods. It is also rumoured that the Government would like to get rid of their sugar worries, ft is known that the Government officials whose business it i< to control sugar iro ha massed day and night bv storekeepers and the public «H pressing their claims for better treatment, and larger supplies of sugar. Even the Prime Minister came under lire over the matter whilst on tour on the AVest Coast, and members of Parliament aie constantly being worried with questions .uol complaints re sugar.