GOODS FROM AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 February 1920, Page 4

GOODS FROM AUSTRALIA.

EFFECT OF SHIPPING SETTLEMENT. INCREASED SUPPLIES FOR DOMINION. The settlement of the shipping strike in Australia will have an important effect on the supply of many articles of which there is now a shortage in New Zealand. A New Plymouth merchant told a. News representative yesterday that there were large quantities of goods at Melbourne and Sydney awaiting shipment to the Dominion, which have been held up by tire strike.' For some time there has been a great scarcity of tobacco, and this lias been due to the fact that Die bulk of the tobacco used here comes from Melbourne. Melbourne and Sydney are also the transhipping ports for certain merchandise from Europe, such as preserved fruit, and the bulk of last season's fruit iR still held up at Melbourne. Tea from India and Ceylon has been, and rice and other articles from the East, have been delayed for the same, reason. As soon as the inter-colonial shipping becomes normal there will be increased supplies of all these articles for New Zealand. The merchant mentioned that it Wat possible these increased supplies might have the effect of reducing prices somewhat, but he did not wish to give hope to the public in this respect until he saw what the quantity held up amounted to. Information on this point is not available yet.