FOOD SUPPLIES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 1 November 1913, Page 5

FOOD SUPPLIES.

EFFECT OF THE STRIKE, SERIOUS POSITION IN MASTERTON. Unless a settlement is arrived at .shortly in connection with the watersiders 3 strike, the public of Masterton, in common with other places, are likely to be seriously inconvenienced as regards the main necessaries ©f life. The leading storekeepers in Masterton were interviewed yesterday by an Age representative, and some interesting information was received. The managing director of the IW.F.C.A., Ltd., stated that there wag a fair supply of potatoes and flour, and if orders were curtailed to small quantities they could supply their regular customers for about ten days. Supplies of sugar are short, but, by limiting orders it may be possible to carry on for about a week. A number of customers, evidently anticipating trouble, booked up heavy orders some* days ago. This naturally lessened the stocks in hand. In other lines of household goods no difficulty was anticipated in supplying customers. Messrs Graham- and Co. had a somewhat worse tale to tell, as sugar, flour, and potatoes were running short. Customers had tjieir orders limited to small quantities, but even then it was not anticipated that stock will last more than four days. It is that a supply of flour will be received from Auckland in a day or two, so that, shortage in this direction may not be so acute. Messrs Giddings and Co. are already running short of sugar and ilour, with little hope of securing further supplies until the strike is settled. Mr Giddings stated that so great was the'rush yesterday that had the orders not been cut down, the entire stock would have been cleaned up. He did- not anticipate any great shortage in potatoes on account of suppliers of new potatoes coming in shortly from local growers. In other i lines Mr Giddings thought it possible to supply all demands for some time' to come. Other tradesmen in the town are similarly situated. The majority depend on Wellington merchants for supplies, but there a similar position exists.'