A BROKEN AGREEMENT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 8941, 5 October 1907, Page 2

A BROKEN AGREEMENT.

Cornering the Market

An Unusual Development

Per Press Association. Dunedin, October <t. A startling and unusual development had ;akon place in the local bottle trade. L’he number of quart beer bottles at present available in the Dominion is limited and considerable competition has hitherto existed in the bottling trade in securing an adequate supply. In order that each might have an equal chance, an agreement was entered into by the different firms carrying on business in Dunedin some years ago that no more than Is per dozen would bo paid fot bottles. So difficult of late has it been to secure an adequate supply that this agreement has on several occasions been broken, as much as Is 8d per dozen being paid. Messrs Thomson and Co. resented this action on the part of the other firms and have adopted a system of retaliation by endeavouring to corner tho bottle market. Last night they advertised that they v ere prepared to pay 2s 6d per dozen for quart bottles, and to-day no less than 1000 dozen of the required article were delivered at their factory. Similar action is being taken by the firm’s branches in other parts of the South Island, and it is expected that within three weeks all tho available bottles in this part of tho Dominion will bo tho property of Messrs Thompson and Co. A member of one bottling firm states that, owing to the increase m the price of bottles, it may bo necessary to raise the price of bottled ale and stout in order to avoid a loss.