COMMODITY PRICES

Southland Times, Issue 18856, 23 June 1920, Page 5

COMMODITY PRICES

PUBLIC I.OOaI.VC FOR a DROP. j BRANB OX BUSINESS. j (Special to the Times.) | i nrrasTriirnrn. j„ nP 22. Are the price- of most classes of imported cods "niti" to As yet the anMver to this oue.-tioii is f.;r from heme: solved in trade circles, Out the possibility is undoubtedly rriniir as a distinct brake on j business. Certainly the tteimrnl public is expertitig a drop in certain instances, and retailers s .y (hat as a consequence they are sell in." less. In the sott ponds and, dry* poods businesses trailers ate t xprriencin" a distinctly quiet period. It L a fart to-day that certain classes of is od,; have been marked down in price in some of the retail anti wholesale houses in the eitv, hut it i.- rather problematical v.h. ther tin:- action has been influenced to any preat extent by overseas conditions. Recent proseeui ions by the Prices Investigation Tribunals have had an effect, line merchant frankly admitted that he had ent down the price in the ease of a few lims for this reason, “But,” he said, “I don't admit that my profits were too high. Under lh° circumstances I am simply not

prqKivt''! to accept (ho risk of defoiuliri" n I-•■m io;i. rvoi although I know I will ho The pTfi-ct is that I will not

Vi .th<T abmit importing certain line? and I I ’;::i!: yon will find this attitude reflected elsewhere,” Merchant- in the eity have been advised by the ibiii.li Empire Trading Company, Ltd., that it is discontinuing (ho allowance of 2d- per cent discount in the case of tobaccos. It is stated by merchants that this action will cut their margin of gross profit down to a bare minimum and one distributor in consequence is giving up the handling of tobacco lines. It is thought l lint the action of the British Empire Trading Company. Ltd., means that the companv contemplates establishing depots itself in the main centres.