CHRISTMAS SHOPPING.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1920, Page 4

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING.

HIGHER PRICES FOR NEXT MONTH. COMPARISON WITH 1914. The fall in prices in outside markets is not yet having a very marked effect in New Zealand, and the Taranaki householder shopping for Christmas will find high prices again the rule. In view of the approach of Christmas it is interesting to look back to the prices ruling before the war. A list below gives a comparison of 11)14 and iMH) retail prices, and the difference in the majority of cases is a rise of from 00 to over 100 per cent. Smaii though the items be the margin in the aggregate will no doubt be considerable. The following list contains many articles prominent in Christmas orders, and while the prices -are New Plymouth quotations they indicate the ruling prices in Taranaki:— 1914 1920 s d. s d. Sultanas q j 3 Dried Apricots 10 1 !) iJcssicaled Coconut ... : 10 1 (I Rice 3 g Pineapple (tinned) .. .■ u 14 Preserved Ginger 12 2 0 Maccaroni and Vermicilli 7 .10 Tapioca ... ;t U Arrowroot 7 1 0 Canned Fruits 10 2 3 Almonds 8 ' j q Currants (j j n Salmon (lib. tins) 10 1 B -Seeded Raisins (pekt) TIC Seedless Raisins 7 14 Prunes 7 j ,j Cream of Tartar , 1 g 2 (1 Candles (English) 10 1 e Starch (English) 9 1 e Dates (per lb.) 4 g Sugar a 0 One item which has advanced in price and is not given above is flour. In this instance, though the quotations by the millers show big increases, the burden to the consumer is eased by way of Government subsidy.