THE FALL IN PRICES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1891, 17 January 1885, Page 2

THE FALL IN PRICES.

(To the Editor,) • ■■s■';'' . / SiR-Lonolbifo Lon ; ■ • ion-My■■ TelograpV on W-*M >,. Prices,!'.whicli cannot fail toiiitatyour ■reader's.' It-will be lioticedJiow fully this letfeivto youy.and Hpw dmiiprtaht'.a - bear-' ing it has on the many serious questions of;: finance and production which have to be considered by every colonist who expects to prosper, The statement that sugar, is being soldretail at 71ba for 6d, talglT •perhaps-tin-is toin'nd, v witli-B\ioli Tacts' : asHlies'e-before us, Sir Juliuß Yogel, in his. coragement of production of b'eet sugar. in NeW:Zealand.- *lfj'.is"ii6t clearly betterf<&the'colbiiy''tb take advantage of the! low price at which the article can be prti< duced elsewhere and devote its labor to something more remuner;tiv;e To adVb-. cate, t'i&o-growth ; of sugar in such a climate, as that of New-Zealand, seems to me to show a singular.'want, of appreciation of the coriditionaunder^yhichprofitable pro- ( duction is possible/;- -Wlry""'should New' Zealand attempt,to compete in this with the cheap Jabor climates of tropical or semi-tropical countries 1 Surely.it. would-be m'uoh wiser to confine ourselves" •fdri'the'preßfin't. to • those articles .in. the production of'WhichJwe" have clear advantages of soil and olirn&ts..,Let instance,, produce, meat, cheese,''buttari.'&c., and sDni'tliese a'rticles v aw'ay; m exchajipe for tropical'productions. In this direction •thereiajng dbubValarge trade to'be done iri'theFuture with the SputLSea-Islands; arid : >x ''" f '' '^''''" • ••The Reference in-thearticlo to the high price of New' Zealand'mutton is most satisfactory, ahdl can quite confirm this, as I saw last week in JSmithfield'. market i spuiie r .prunß 'jnutton: from New Zealand 'which had just been sold. at ; ls.-4d;-per lb . —pbove.the price ; of 'some' splendid looking English sheep hanging; side .by side. Jt.is quite :clear that if ißs may go as far as'£l,-and this stato. of .things-isio he permarient(of which-I. .think; there is no doubt, unless some : immense gold fields' are discovered)-it milst-very soon become as hard to earn the'smaller sum as the larger a year back, and when there has been time to'adjust themselves, this fact will apply to the colonies just as much as to: England,- - ■The-pressure of all debts will .therefore be increased fully in this proportion, A moments, consideration of this fact' .'will Bhow '•ho> nece'ssasy' if becomes for the' colony-to'study how to lessen the cost of production of everything' and with what extreme care fresh liabilities either of a public or private character should be increased.'

lam, &c, C. PhakazYiV, Pau, Basses Pyrenees, Nov 17, 1884,

..": • A 'general- depresaioQ pficeslclue to a variety of causes, exists at the present tiine, which is calculated to have important social aud com'mer-' cial effects, It is proved by a slight examiria. tion that as compared with tho corresponding period of last year, the- purchasing power of a sovereign has undoubtedly increased, This result, is especially,audipimediately aacMbab'le' tq fall' in tho market values of almost all the necessaries :.of life. Food, clothing, and fuel are severally cheaper, in some articles by as much as 10 per cent,; that is to say, 18s this year will buy almost as much as a pound did last, It is, how'ever, in the m6re"deßsely populated neighbour-, hoods that this decline in. retail'-piMej niay.be;more particularly noticed. In what'are called "cutting" localities tWohangeain thcwhojesalc quotations, are.quickly reflected iii'lhe amended figures attached to samples in the tradesmen's shop windows! butin better class;.districts, where a "family", .or regular'trade'is done, the •market fluctuations have -nci. noeessarlly an, immediate..effect, the|principal "object 'of'the shopkeeper-being'to preserve as nearly as possible an equality of scale. Consequently, he sometimes bears the loss of a slight rise without alteration of his prices-' recouping himself when occasion offiirs by charging.his customers at 'liigher ratos hjch ought in strict justice to be cheaper. -Tradesmen again, who, have to call fpr and bookjrdersl'give etedit, and send goods home ar.e naturally less prepared to allow the public the fnlj advantage of a drop in wholesale prices; but those who work upon the rough and ready cash system are. compelled by competition to adopt a different method, and it will be found'that their prices aro generally in closer accord with the. ruling -figures of the . wholesale trade. I.t is of this class of tradesmen that wage-earners and people of.smalland limited incomes buy most largely and hence it is the needy portion ,qf the population which really, derives most benefit by. flje prevailing cheap-' nes9 o"f the most important "coniniodities. . _' Taking articles.lif food in the order of their importance, as determined by the 'inroads they make upon tho private purse, there is :'flrst butcher's meat, which may generally be said to alisorj) five shillings of a middle-class housekeepers sovereign. Beef and mutton are, on the wholo, a penny per pound cheaper than'they were last November, as there is plenty of meat in the market. Foreign supplies of frozen andother meajt ljavo done much to keep prices ijown, but it is said bj Borne authorities thatNew'ssealand mutton is becoming so popular ■that it will shortly equal the prices of -homegrown,- -The opening of Parliament has had. a' beneficial effect upon the-value of sirloins of beef and legs of mutton, which are now in'great demand in the West-ond. It is not so. much in tho fall of price that the general publio profits as by the _ improvement in quality, the fine season having developed the nutritious elements bfaUclasEss of meat, stack having fed better, Notwithstanding these considerations butchers' are crying out that trade is slow, if not bad, and '(hoy attribute this partly'tb.tV cheapness of poultry. Poultry.wherever \i is put beforo the. publio at fair prices certainly commands a ready : sale, the purob.aß.ers -being tho working-, and,' ■ lower middle classes, to whom -a pair of fqwls-at one time might havoibe'en"a very raro.luxury. It frequently happens now, however, ..that poultry la.aa ohoap as butcher's meat, and this. year there is a reduotion of.«a muoh as -Id in the retail price of the ordinary Irish fowl, which' ■ sold wholesale last year at 2s 7Jd, but which can ho bought this season for 2s 3d,"the reason'being chiefly a plentiful supply, tho -weather having been most favorajblo' to tho,breeder. • Smaller ))irds aro to be had inquantitieß as Jsfd eoch, jhd a tradesman with a quick' sale'often sellsthem at. nominal profits' As" compared with last year there i? a reduction- of. 5d on each fow} of this description', pld and pstend rabbits, both highly .popular as providing an occasional and welcome change in the domestic "menu," are also cheaper by a few pence. Cumberland hams are, however, 20sacwtmore', tho long summer having diminished the supply, whilst preventing auy considerable addition to tho stock as hams havo tqbe prepared in the colder months, Geese, which are chiefly from Normandy; show a fall in price, a goose which cost a customer say 8s last year is now procurable for 7s. Fish, another substitute for meat, js on the average unchanged. OB" vegetables, pofeitdes especially, a saying can be effected, provided they are J>oiighi in quantities of not less than a'sack'; otherwise* it is 'the retailer, and not the consumer, who gaiiia 'by the remarkable faji in wholesale, prices, which was brought apojit by the largo yield—the effect of the rain in the middle of the summer. In onevariety there Is a decline of nearly £2 a.ton, and the retail price for magnum bomims should be about half whatwasasked tw.olve.monthsagoprice, and some, potatoes are'sold for less; Eight shillings less a quarter 'charged'Jfor wheat has in turn enabledMers to sell bread for about Id a ■ loaf cheaper, that is to say, whero 7d was asked last pear, Cd is accepted now thp;qnalhy_{ being tlje same. Inferior descriptions are being offeredits low as "jd ft Jqaf, ; and tho trado admits that bread was so cheap. Onbesc butters, and a}sq jj bacon there, is'a reductipn.pf |d in the'ppiind,. Sugar,'whloh r js no longer a iuxury, but a'necessity of the first impoftajicp,. i)'a?-hptwithitaiMing itß> alreadylow pfic||c- in" the pound, and even more,, for grocers seem to'riya}. prj'e another .uj almost giving, away; sugar'as in'inducement ■topurchaserrof thpiritea.:...Seven' pounds for 6d may;bo had, but thiß.price.'metas that if is "sold at a loss. . Thre.e : l\alfpence a pound for manufactured sugar: a slight profit to. .theretaijer, ..Sugar, being...abundant has led tothe oheapness ot jams, "a 21b p6t;.hein'g' %1" less, thaafdrtncrly.".Strawberry; is'-:-aij;'exception.-'Marm.alade, in con6oquenpe.orthe'def}clency pf. the.orange crop, is, howov.er, dearer, but is likely to,be cheap again.by : Ohristmas, It has not been found-that cheap jam.has-'affeoted the 0. mandfor butter, No.'greatVppnsumption is ; generally looked for until the' Home made'stock is exhausted, Best eggs frenvFran'ce andltaly. are Is per the great hundred (125) cheaper by wholesale, and.proportionately so in retail. Tinned meats have become almost unsaleable,' One or two unfortunate poisoning cases having

created a projiidico against thorn. They are, of •course, cheap. Coffco and tea have not materiallychanged, so far as the private individual is 'cirlfflSied, Housowivcs, in buoK articles as ; soap "and soda havejo expend.less now than last JJpyembef flfißffie-soap has declined 5s a cwt, - wines; and spirita average the same, tlio only 'tlifforence being, that as hops nre plentiful there is tfrilmpfoyement in tile quality. Grocers and oilmcngcherally are.of opinion that tho public ,liko buying in smaller quantities, notwithatand- • ■ iarto:beiad'fdrth'e money! ■'-' • ' iy On every description there is consulomblff'reduction, especially by large houses whicjßvvp success by buying -for- a settled "these: extensive concerns flreablo'to'marirtheirgDiJds'in complete corrcS;'ipb'aJedce>witlithe' falling trade quotations, but *«malhriaileti who obtain- long credit under the '"'dating" system;-,are often, entirely in the : hands of the '.whplcßale- ; hwae.:Bupplying..thcm, : and;ftrelesß;espon9iVetaihistate.or tie market. ~'A yfryliejyj decline to tT$ extent--of. one-fifth ;tevaiu«,"nas3a&tfpla#in'ladies' mantles, ifht6h'#or the'ajtke of. their- aupenor-.finiah and low price are importedfrom--Qerma'riy'; butthat 'country has been obliged, it is believed to sell at no'proflt at all,'the warm season-having' restric* . ted the demand.' IVhilst Bradford dress goods remain much wref-theTftSas bean a deft cline in velvets'and sib, The latter ■lattcrtfadeis greatly Repressed, but velvets are :mucS worn,''A gentleman of twenty-eight years' • experience says hVias,never; bjftya. goods . ( sq, low in iflustratiori'a French m'enho is mentioned, Six yearY'ago it ;was sold at 2s JJJd, per yarA-.-'whereas-the price •sr;exactly-tlie sartie'article is now.la ll|d, the 'diminujion having .be?n .going '.en', steadily for 'the ."prat-three years," Manchester-:stuffs—■ "'cottons, linens, calicoes'j-iic:,—average 7Jper : ' cent cheaper, or a saving'of „eight'eenpence on every pound laid out. ;The present prices of glovesj.hosiery, haberdashery, lace, fancy goods,,: andtrimmings are all to the advantage of the •customer. Boots are dearer,-although' the old .prices forthe'ihferior classes are maintained, at the expense of quality, leather having increased.in value, and the.cost oi.labor-having'been aug- , Jmented,- .where'the.neW.thir'drelasii'" statement". ' 'was adopte'd-by the. trade,-'lt' is'possible,"-hot' ;only to clothe more economically,'but to furnish, : forleß3 : money.than required for the Bamo pur-' pose a year ago,- Carpets, cretonnes, and manufactured stunV'of every-kind- from Kiddermiimtor and' Huddersfield are all IeBB costly, the saving being equal to a discount and sometimes eighteen-pence itj'the pound. Wool flannels and blankets, from Wales, lace curtains from Nottingham' and Scotland, and towellingefrom Manchesterare .likewise cheaper. ': Even cabinet work and furnishing ironmongery are obtainable at lower rates, . l Still it is the experience of large firms, having a'class of trade chiefly affected by a depresaed condition of the jabor market, that .in order to make the same returns it is necessary to secure a larger turnover, profits being smaller this year than last, —Daily Telegraph,