Fiji

Prices Up Again In

Shoe Repairs, Sandals and Soap

From ° ur ° wn Correspondent . SUVA, April 26 rpo have a pair of mens shoes soled 1 ™ U g n hTou ay cln^a S ve Va i/ C -X S having them rivetted instead of sewn.

Soling and heeling Of women’s shoes

Costs 9/3

ch Y" d e e s r throughout prices for making standard-type sandals are also increased. Men’s sandals, which before the war were 4/6 at the most, ave now 15/-, and it can be said that the quality in most cases has gone down as much as the price has gone up.

To the pub ii c at i ar ge, whose income does not keep pace with the soaring cost of living, the Price Controller’s blows are not appreciably softened by the state ment that the increases are due to Australia VSd C New zeSSd mported from Almost simultaneously came the infor mation that the price of locally-manu factured soap was up 2 d. a bar, which brings it to 1/7-1/10. The reason for this is the rise of £8 a ton in copra, plus a substantial rise in the price of im- Ported tallow. A „ Although, in the eyes of the untutored public, the Price Controller’s job appears to be mainly concerned with legalising never-ending price increases, the same pub ii C undoubtedly has more faith in controlled than in uncontrolled prices.

Not i ong ago control was reintroduced f o r vegetables and other produce at fcf r V pnntro?s d a? Suva & gr ° Wmg aglta 011 tvip markets under the present Jhe are a tree-for-ali tw the Asiatic middlemen.