PRICE OF FOODSTUFFS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 March 1916, Page 8

PRICE OF FOODSTUFFS.

HOW NECESSITIES HAVE JUMPED. Curious tp ascertain (says the Dominion), how present-day prices of food commodities compare with those of other days, recently impelled Mr. J. W. McEwan, Mayor of Petone, to look over some of his invoices of the year 11)00. So rmarkable was the difference that he confesses that even he, who was well aware of the gradual rise in prices, was surprised at the gap. The following are the wholesale prices of the goods then and now, as supplied to him by the same Wellington firm of merchants:— Cheese, 5-case lot, per lb.: 1900, sd; 1916, 9d. Onions, per cwt.: 1900, 3s Gd; 1916, 5s 6d. Wheat, per bushel: 1900, 2s 7Jd; 1916, 5s Od to 6s, Od. Butter, per lb.: 1000, Old: 1010, Is 4Sd. (Note.—ln .June, 1900, mid-winter, the price was 10d)* Barley, pearl: 1900, 12s Gd; 1910, 2os Gd. : Pollard, per ton: 1900, £3 15s; 1916, £B. Oatmeal, per cwt.: 1900, 9s Cd and 10s Gd: 1910, £l. Maize: 1900, 3s Id; 1910, fis. Flour, 50's: 1900, £7 10s; 1910, '£l4 10s. Sugar, ex Auckland, per ton: 1900, £10; 1910, £2l. Potatoes, new. in Januarv: 1900, 3s Od to 4s Gd; 191G, 9s to 10s." Potatoes in June, 1900, per ton, £2 7s Gd. Imported goods such as tobacco, cocoa, patent foods, tinned fish, etc., have advanced anything between 10 and 80 per cent.; meat is 100 per rent, dearer, and bread, which was 21d in 1900, is now 4M per l"nf.