1939-10-21 — Page 6

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FOOD PRICE CONTROL

THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 21, 1939

NO. 9 BUS

MODIFIED BY NEW ORDER: DESTROYED

LIMITATION OF SCOPE

FOOD PRICE CONTROL in the Colony is subject to NEW

considerable modification as the result of a new

Order issued by the Food Controller in the "Gov-TERRITORY ernment Gazette,” to-day.

The Order declares that the Order of the Controller INQUIRY

The following official appointments

of Food published as Government Notification No. 891 in the Gazette Extraordinary of 5th Oc-etc. are gazetted: tober, 1939, shall, until further notice, apply only to the following articles of food:-

1. Milk and milk products including butter, cheese,

cream and ghee.

2. Frozen meat.

3. Bacon and ham.

4. The following tinned foods:-

5. Rice.

Corned beef.

Pork and beans.

Salmon.

Sardines.

6. Tea and coffee.

7. Wheat flour.

8. Bread.

9. Salt.

10. Margarine, Lard and other oils and fats used for

food.

11. Rolled oats and oatmeal.

The Hong Kong General Chamber | maximum retail price which may be of Commerce has supplied the follow-fixed, is excessive owing to change in ing explanatory notes with regard to the foregoing notification:--

circumstances and should be reduced.

Hon. Mr. T.. H. King has resumed duty as Commissioner of Police.

BY FIRE

A No. 9 bus, which was on her way from Jordan Road Ferry to Un Long, caught fire and was completely des- troyed on the Castle Peak Road, near the 15-milestone yesterday afternoon.

Fortunately, no passengers injured.

were

So intense was the blaze that even the crankcase was. completely burned and the glass became so hot that it melted and ran over the road. Mr. E. C. Luscombe to be an Assis-

When finally, it had burned itself tant Superintendent of Police.

part out, only the chassis and

of Mr. W. Woodward to be Water-the engine were left. works Engineer. Comdr. T. C. Stiff to be Assistant Harbour Master.

+

Mr. G. S. Kennedy-Skipton appoint- ed as Special Commissioner to inquire into the possibilities of agricultural extension in the Colony.

Mr. D. G. E. Middlelburg recogniz-

The cause of the fire is not knowri, but it is thought that a short circuit must have been responsible.

A fire appliance arrived when the bus was almost burned out.

Mr. T. Oda to be in charge of the

ed as being in charge of German in-Japanese Consulate-General. terests in the Colony.

Second Lieut. Ċ. R. Stoddart resign-

Exenuatur empowering Mr. D. G. E. Led his commission in the H.K.V.D.C. Middelburg to act as Consul for Netherlands at H.K.

the

Capt. J. F. Wright resigned his com- mission in the H.K.V.D.C.

PEACE TALK DISMISSED AS

TOKYO PROPAGANDA

Chungking, To-day.

The Chambers of Commerce are at JAPANESE PROPAGANDA" is how well-informed

It has been decided to restrict con- present collecting evidence from mer- trol, in the main, to essential items of chants who desire to have maximum food, as set forth in the list now pub-retail prices fixed. Retailers have lished in the Gazette. It is found that a ten or fifteen per cent in- considered unnecessary to control crease on August prices of certain articles which are in the nature of goods would still leave them selling luxuries because the public can exer- new stocks at a loss and consequently

Chinese circles here describe current rumours of a Chinese-Soviet military pact and the alleg- ed concentrations of Soviet troops in Sinkiang (Chinese Turkestan).

cise price control for themselves by there has been a severe diminution of These rumours are alleged to have been carefully

refraining from purchase and by us- the regular stream of orders which- ing substitutes. In place of tinned if not quickly corrected-will result fruit and vegetables, for instance, local in a shortage of supplies in the next supplies can be used. Alcoholic liquors | few months. are also now uncontrolled,

PRICE-CUTTING

The tinned foods mentioned in the controlled list are those which are in the greatest demand. "Sardines" re- It is not generally realised by the fers not so much to the luxury article public that in Hong Kong there are used for hors d'oeuvres as to an article more retail provision stores than are bearing the trade name of “Californian | necessary to meet requirements. The Sardines," a comestible in great de-result has beer severe price-cutting. mand amongst the Chinese.

so that consumers have for years been at an

advantage in their purchases from Chinese compradores. A large Arm of importers writes:-

BREAD PRICES

Messrs. Lane, Crawford, Ltd., re- port that existing arrangements for supplies of flour are likely to make unnecessary any alteration in the price of bread for the next five months.

"In our opinion, any tendency to profiteer will be a temporary feature of the local market. The rise in price in the retail stores was a natural re- sult of the following influences:, kte

"Consideration by retailers that re- ac-placements costs would be higher, and that behoved them to provide against this in their present prices. The ma- jority, are firms without capital.

Large stocks of flour have cumulated in Hong-Kong on account of reduced off-take caused by hostili- tles in China and the discharge here of four which could not be landed in Tientsin because of the floods. For some months before the outbreak of the European war flour merchants were selling at a loss.

The rule is retained that the maxi- mum retall price for the controlled goods imported from overseas shall be fifteen per cent above the August price if the goods come from Canada or any foreign country, and ten per cent above the August price if the goods come from any British Empire country except Canada.

LANDED COSTS

But if it is shown that landed costs of any of these articles have in-

to such an extent that the pe

percentage ive th

"The advice officially given to the public to accumulate a month's sup- ply of foodstuffs led to unusually heavy purchases, and the bringing into operation of the law of supply and de- mand.

"Heavy purchases by the Govern- ment Medical Department accentuated this feature-in respect of certain arti- cles.

"The European population who were vocal in the Press probably do not realise that severe competition has hitherto given them supplies at little more than wholesale prices. What they thought profiteering, was nothing more than the taking (for the nonce) of a reasonable profit."

NAME PLATE

STOLEN

engineered by the Japanese in order to influence British policy in the Far East.

These circles declare that the reports are cleverly timed, being issued both immediately before and immediately after the arrival in Chungking of the British Ambassador, Sir Archibald Clark Kerr.

"It is interesting to observe," they

imminent

JAPANESE GAME continue, "that Japanese sources are "The Japanese are therefore cir- also circulating rumours to the effect conclusion of a Sino-Soviet military

culating rumours of the

that the British Ambassador is urg-pact and are saying that Soviet troops ing the peaceful settlement of the are being concentrated in Sinkiang Sino-Japanese dispute which is the ultimate objective of such Japanese propaganda.

"After falling to induce to act as mediator," and

to Peace with Japan, the Japanese Govern-, ment is now seeking to alarm Britain' by deliberately circulat- `ing rumours of the Imminent

Soviet domination of China."

force China to conolume

in order to exert pressure on China to accept Soviet demands.

"The Japanese hope in this man- ner to create such a state of alarm over Soviet expansion 'in China that the British Ambassador, in his con- versations with Chinese Government leaders in Chungking, may exert pressure on the Chinese Government to conclude peace with Japan, thus removing possible danger of Soviet domination of China."-Reuter.