DEAR FRUIT AND VEGETABLES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9163, 11 August 1908, Page 5

DEAR FRUIT AND VEGETABLES.

SCARCITY OF E3GS. It was reasoned out so ne while back that the stringen:y of the American money market last year had a later but serious recrudescence in New Zealand, through the diminution in demand for our wool, anil a consequent fall in prices. This month New Zealand is experiencing a sudden and abnormal rise in the price of certain commodities, and once"again there is American origin for the occurrence. The coming of the United States mcn-o'-war to Auckland, with ten thousand men, and the flocking to Auckland of visitors from various parts of New Zealand, has caused a great laying-up of comestible products in the Northern city, with the idea of trading them off profitably to the visitors. In consequence of this, the Wellington market has been left without the supplies of eggs and other far,m produce which are largely drawn from the Auckland districts at this season of the year. Eggs, fruit, and vegetables have all been short in Wellington this month, and some astonishing prices have been realised at public auction. On Saturday there wei-e sales of cauliflowers, in wholesale lots, at prices which worked at from one shilling to eigliteenpence per head; gruen peas—the first of the j season —were sold at four shillings per peck; and on Monday morning there were sales of cabbages made at prices running up to twelve shillings per sack, while as high as nineteen shillings a sack was obtained for European grown cauliflowers. In short, vegetables are dear all round; eggs are dear also; and fruit is bringing extraordinary prices. Mr Mitchell, reprefentative of Laery and Co., told a "Post" reporter that the position was made worse, in regard to fruit, by the shortage of supplies from Tasmania, while the failure of Auckland to s»md down the usual supply of cgus had resulted in prices being maintained at a very unusual level for the average of wholesale prices i.s Is 2d to Is 4d per dozen for eggs, but they are now bringing Is Bd. Apples sold up to twelve shillings a case (ordinary size), and lemons were quitted at over eleven shillings for ordinary sized cases. Every line of fruit met with keen competition yesterday in Wellington, and consumers will have to pay more than ordinary prices for a while to come. There were a few cases of good tomatoes offered, and these were quitted at 8d per lb. They are coming to hand in small lots, from Nelson, the Hutt, and oversea States.