The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-16
HIGH PRICES
Provisions at Premium
In Town.
Advances on the Coast and the Plague
Here Alleged to be
Responsible.

in Honolulu, the burning of China
town and the uncertainty and irregu-
larity of the inter-island steamship ser
vice, are said to be responsible for an
increase in the price of almost all staple
and fancy groceries, provisions, fruit
and vegetables. People are noticing
the effect of these things on their
grocery and provision bills and are
talking about it as well.
An Advertiser reporter interviewed a
number of the leading provision mer-
chants yesterday, as well as many of
the smaller stores in town, regarding
the rise in the prices of various arti-
| cles of food. Rice and potatoes are the
| principal things affected, it being al
most impossible to count on imports
| from the other islands. Steamers run
| irregularly or not at all, and when
| they do bring shipments to Honolulu,
| they must of necessity discharge in
! lighters and an extra transportation
fee of seventyfive cents per ton or
thereabout, adds still more to the sell
| ing price. Rice is selling in town at
$500 and 1925 per bag of 100 pounds.
1t is almost impossible to procure pota-
toes at all; the Australia did not bring
many from the Coast and just now
there are no island potatoes in the mar
ket. One grocer, yesterday, was asking
| $500 a bag for potatoes, and all the
stores have numerous orders therefor
as soon as the tubers can be secured.
Kerosene is at premium, being from
$500 to $3.50 a case. The Board OF
Health has produced this state of af-
fairs, as far as kerosene is concerned
by it's necessary and wholesale use OF
coal oil in the burning VI Chinatown
The only recent shipment of oil from
San Francisco was by the bark Nuuanu
which brought down 5000 cases. The
next shipment is expected shortly by
the bark ST Katharine from New York;
she will bring 10000 cases, which viii
considerably reduce the present price
and relieve the famine.
Canned goods are higher than ordin
arily, not simply on account of the in
crease in the value of tin, nor because
of the greater value of meats, fruit!
and vegetables in the States, but on &C
count of an unusual demand for canned
provisions by the people of Honolulu
and to a certain extent there is con
sequent scarcity. The detention camp
vi DIV ntdNlly vi Tic supply anu IL 10
fact that a great number of people
fearing to eat fresh meat, fruit AM
vegetables owing to the presence of tn
plague, use the canned articles in thei
stead.
Meat is not as greatly affected by ex
listing conditions as other food articles
ham and bacon are but little abov
the usual price. Coffee is unaffected
Island butter, while not bringing NOR
: than usual, is very scarce. The irregu
= larity of island steamers is not alon
responsible for this; there has been
great deal of dry weather in the dair
J. districts of late and pasturage has bee
correspondence poor. A dairyma
r writes from Kona that water is fetch
Ing five cents gallon up there. A fe
), of the smaller stores in town are real
ing big profits at the expense of Gu!
t. toners on the plea that the plague he
affected the price of everything, chars
ing extra in many cases where no exit
charge is allowable
The larger firms, however, as we'll {
the majority of the smaller concern
are asking no more than the situate
warrants, and there are many thins
a that maintain the same prices as her
tofore. A prominent grocer informe
a the reporter that as nearly as possibl
~ he was endeavoring to supply his Gu
toners at the old rates; that the chi
L difficulty, as far as some articles we
concerned, is to supply them at a
Buyers have given orders far ahead f
those things which are scarce or III
obtainable now. Pilot biscuits lit
while ago were sold as soon as tn,
were discharged from the ships; tn
are still at slight premium Ere.
vegetables are firm; many people di
! pense with their use altogether, fea
u. ing bubonic bacilli.