CONCERN IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3527, 14 July 1920, Page 5

CONCERN IN CHRISTCHURCH.

CHRISTCHURCH, July 13‘

The general concern to-day is about sugar. The first shipment of the “new? product is expedted to arrive at Lytteltdu on Wednesday. The retail price_Will abe 6d per pound_ It is over a week since the Government promised to furnish details of the new distribution scheme, and luoaxnvlme mercfiants are waiting and Wondering.

‘The effects of the increase in price on the cost of living will be widely felt. The manager of a. large manu--facturing firm said to-day that a rise of from -.‘;d to 1d per pound in ordinary lines of biscuits would take place shortly. On to that the retailers would have to add their percentage. Fancy biscuits would go up in accordance with the amount of sugar used in their manufacture. The wholesale price of hm-d—boiled sweets would be increased by 3d per pound, and other sw<—.=etsi in propoi-tion. The cost of factory sugar landed in Christchurch had risen from 2§d‘per lb to 53a per lb, and freights and railway carriage costs threatened to keep running exDenses at a very high level. The "retailers are still in the dark as to the extent oflthe coming in(crease, but they are fully aware that u ;~;r(>llei'al revision of cost will be re<luired in" all lines which contain sug'a.r.