PAINTERS' REQUISITES.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1917, Page 7

PAINTERS' REQUISITES.

INCREASE IN PRICES. | _ In common with, many people engaged in oilier industries, oil and color merchants in Auckland are affected by the alinonr.al conditions brought aboi.it by 'liie war. The scarcity of white lead anil i linseed oil is being keenly felt, and this, combined'with the fact that prices have .considerably advanced during the last few month::, is causing a certain amount of inconvenience in 'business. At the cloio of 11)14 white lead was retailed at o.bout -IC; per cwt, whereas the present /etaii jirice is 100s. per cwt. The price of lin>eed oil before the war 'was les-3 than -Is (id a gallon, the present price is | K>s lid a gallon. A considerable quanti ly of oi! in manufactured iu Australia, biit the embargo placed on its export by the Federal Government accounts for the 'shortage of the commodity in lVbw Zealand. The position, however, is expected to improve shortly. There is no actual shnr'.r.Ke of varnish | at present, but it is not unlikely that the retail price will be advanced soon on account of an Increase in freight rates. Kor packed goods the freight rate was £(i per ton or for 41) cubic feet of space. The rate was increased this week to JilO per ton. Stocks of glass held at present are not large. The price has already considerably advanced since pre-war days and is likely to advance still further. On account of the scarcity of paper pulp the price of wall paper has been increased.