THE COST OF LIVING.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 June 1920, Page 4

THE COST OF LIVING.

A MEASURE OF RELJEF. J TEA COMING DOWN. "J ' | A telegram from Dunedin yesterday | stated that owing to the stabilisation of .| the rupee at '2s, the cost of landing tea in New Zealand has been reduced considerably. The result is that the price of the leading proprietary blends throughout New Zealand will be reduced as from July l'by 3d per lb. This message was shown to a New ■ Plymouth merchant yesterday by * Daily News representative, who asked what the actual position would be now that the price had been reduced again. .* The merchant replied that in New Plymouth neither wholesale nor retail £ firms had over charged the full advance of the market, and consequently the drop would not be so great as It would •. have been had the top price been charged. Following the usual custom •that the selling price must be automatically governed by the cost of replace- 1 , meiit, his firm some days ago reduced," the price of most of the cheaper tea% by <kl to Cd a lb. The finest qualities* ( had not been so much affected; in fact! the very best teas showed but little dlf-f ferenee. J A retailer stated that he Bad been! selling packet blends at less than the! top prico, but as soon as the merchants! notified him of a, reduction he WonldV proportionately reduce his prices L PRICE OF BUTTER, | Speaking in regard to the price of M butter, the same grocer explained that ~m although the Government had granted ~S an increase in the retail price to Is 9i ■ Q per lb. a week ago, the grocers would | not impose the increase on the publie , \i until to-morrow (July 1). In the past | ho had been paying Is 6d a lb. for bfrt' % tcr and retailing it at Is 7d, but under- \ the increase he would have to pay Is ''* 7d for it. The Government permitted ': it to be retailed at Is Od a lb., and he \ doubted whether any grocers would be J able to sell at less than this, which h means that the public would nave to ■$ face an increase of 2d per lb. »| THE FLOUR SCARCITY. *g A well-known New Plymouth firm of . % bakers and confectioners, which recently -i save an order for flour to the representative of one of the largest southern $ mills, yesterday received a telegram stat- (-, ing: "Very sorry unable to accept youl \ order for flour owing to shortage of wheat at Timaru. Cannot book any fur* ■ tlior quantities until January, ISttl." Enquiries made by a Daily News representative elicited the information that as regards one mill, when the shortage of wheat was foreseen in February last, the mill allotted their local agents * ' certain quantity, being roughly two* thirds of the estimated requirements ta December, 1920. This reduced quantity was allotted to the regular buyers of the flour and as far as can be gathered ;. has been sufficient. By the Kakapo, which is due at NeW #£ Plymouth to-day, all that has been ask* Jjj cd for from this particular mill is being supplied, but there is nothing available for ,«ale to those who had not contracts. The .millers have told agents 1 that they see no reasons they should not be able to continue keep up the present supply, bqt as wheat is controlled by the it was quite possible that their may be altered. Tho telegram by the baker obviously referred order recently given, and there doubt that at persent it would ceedingly difficult to get .any accept new business. FALLAT AUCKLAND. By TelejrnDli'—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night, Tea merchants in Auckland decided last week to reduce the price of tea by Id per lb and the new rate came into force on Friday last. Tho wholesale price of ordinary standard lines tt vfl packet tea which is used in Auckland IH was 3s 4d per lb., and it is now reduced- . H fo 3s, the retail price falling from Ss 8d to 3s 4d. , J CHRISTCHURCH WOMEN PROTBST. 1 Christchurch, Last Night. At a meeting of the recently formed jaM Women's League to reduce the cost of living the following resolutions were ■ carried:— H "That the Government be urged "til WJ bring about a reduction in prices in New ■ Zealand woollen goods. ~ "That the Government be urged to lessen the import duties on the nefiM- J saries of life, even though such a re* ■ duction cau be brought about only by JH an increased duty on articles of luxury., "That the Government be'urg?d pass legislation to restrict BB increases in rent, especially in to the rent of single rooms." ''•/ ''-M WELLINGTON WOMEN ACT." * 'jjfl Wellington, Last Nigafc-.f'/M A publie meeting of women, held Hsb» .""'?■ the auspices of the Women's NatiMri" )V Council, carried the following resolute*'' .- w| "That in order to afford some relief ft*; 9 the high cost of living, this meetfflg 1 'Jfl urges the City Council to establish jfl,., fl soon as possible a well organised ■JT*wj''u<Afl of municipal distribution of fish, and vegetables." 'WJ]|^|