SOARING PRICES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3387, 16 January 1920, Page 6

SOARING PRICES.

FLOUR TO BE DEARER. SMALL WHEAT YIELD. TEA UP AGAIN. Every day brings increased anxiety for the housewife in respect of food prices. Even the absolute necessaries of life hav 8 increased enormously in price and there seems to be no immediate prospects of a decline. In fact, further increases arc anticipated. In conversation with a New Plymouth merchant on Saturday, a News representative was informed that at the present time the position of the Hour market is very serious. This will obviously moan that bread, and the other articles manufactured from flour will be dearer. The wheat yield in New Zealand for this year is expected to be only three million bushels. As the normal consumption is the Dominion is approximately seven million bushels per annum, it will be necessary to import four million bushels from either Australia or America. The price of -imported Australian wheat will be quite 9s per buchel, whilst the American market price is still higher. It is expected New Zealand growers will obtain 7/6 per bushel. If the present price of flour is to be preserved it is expected that the subsidy will involve the Government in £700,000 per annum. The present price of flour is £ls per ton, but in the near future the- price is expected to soar to £2l. The leading millers of the Dominion have already informed merchants that in the future only regular customers can be supplied. Tea, another necessary household article, has gone up a further 3d per lb on the wholesale price. Wellington packers are now quoting tea at 4s per lb. New Plymouth housewives arc more fortunate in this respect for tea can be procured there at present at 2s (id per lb. Th c shortage of sugar will necessarily increase the price of many household articles. For example, jam has just risen Id per lb, packets of jelly crystals are as much as 3d per dozen dearer, whilst it is expected that thc price of fruit jars will soon bo almost prohibitive.