The Taihape Daily Times MONDAY, JULY 5, 1915. TRADE AND PRICES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 244, 5 July 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times

MONDAY, JULY 5, 1915. TRADE AND PRICES.

AND WAIMAEINO ADVOCATE,

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post { xn& Wniaiarino News.)

Information is now coming to hand in the various British trade journals, also in advices received by large importing houses in Wellington and the other large centres, respecting the Home markets, and factories' capabilities for keeping up supplies of those goods for which we arc entirely or almost, entirely dependent upon oversea sources for our supply. War conditions rendered it very doubtful whether textile fabrics, boots, and other goods, could reach the long outlying parts of the Empire when stocks held at Home had run down, but there now seems to be no need for concern on this point, as very nearly everything except woollen goods is in plentiful supply. Most large importers have reported that their orders have come to hand for the new season, ■affad provision is made for repeats should they be necessary, just as usual. The only trouble seems to be with woollen [goods-.-; some manufacturers are refusaltogether, while others are ; asking and getting their own price. This.Vttans high prices for the consumer, but wool-growers here are assured of continued high prices for their wool for a ye*ir or two to come at least. City soft goods' houses almost uniformly report good'"business despite the war, and that there •»*£ no serious evidences at present of a*/ appreciable falling off. Their stocks hawe run low, owing to uncertainty, but th'tse are being replenished at such prices' as are jaot likely to affect the eonsumev very much. It is not possible to say what increases, howevor, may take pgace on woollen goods prices. The sheep-farmer is absolutely certain to fret high prices for a long time $0 eom«, but on? dairying; industry is not likely to be m fortunate. The almost universal opinioa at Home is that as soon a ; S war ends butter will g» dowa with ,a ?mmp,.- High pices rale here, owing", it is said, to shortage of supplies; but it s'jems strange t%J export ahould.be permitted to continue is&twithjstandSftg, }f it is only xm3sV ill?

mtTol of tke Minister. The unusual 1 ioosc are purely the result of ,'ar Office demands, and, of course, it I i ob\>k*as that they will go with the jrmiiHition of war. One loading Homo mdo journal says a sudden collapse f tie war would, in all probability, aean a collapse of dairy produce irrces. We are not so intensely inter- | •Sled, in this district, in wheat and •rain prices, as in wool, meat, and buter. and any want of life in prices as sonic other parts of the Dominion. Wheat on the American Continent is now at a very much lower price than ,n the early part of May. Argentine shipments, then realising seventy shillings, arc now selling as low as forty shillings, and although the fall has not been so great in the States and in Canada the prices are distinctly reasonable in comparison with what they were a few weeks ago. New Zealand wheatholders insisted upon raising prices to

' those obtainable in Britain a few weeks I ago, and it will be interesting, if not j 1 amusing, to watch their unties in keep- ' ing prices up here very much higher than they give promise of in Britain. They are raising tlieir voices in the oW "shortage 7 ' cry, and it remains to be seen whether the Government is sincere in its protestations to prevent exploitation. A strict census of wheat in the Dominion was ordered for the last day of June. If it is shown that there is an actual shortage, then the Government will, in accordance with its announcements, import sufficient for our needs. But there is room to doubt the result of he census; from experience we are not sure of anything like approximate accuracy, and our rulers have not taken a course likely to instil confidence in this respect. A very severe penalty should have been imposed upon those who withhold information or who furnish inaccurate figures about the wheat they have in hand. The subject is one of the greatest importance to the whole Dominion, and all working people will be anxiously looking for an oufcome of the census that will indicate an early fall in bread prices. At present there is no relief in sight from easing of oats, chaff, or potato prices, and the cost of living will remain a

severe tax upon wage-earners and the smaller class of businessmen for many months to come yet.