The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-08-30
Dealers Have Only
Few Sacks on
Hand.
SELLlNGCUSTOMERS
TEN POUND LOTS
New Stock Expected in Olympic
Smoked Meats and Many
Canned Goods Short.

wv HEN the lookout reports the
w bark Olympic off Diamond Head
W there will be several easy minds
IN the city. The grocers are already in
straits for -four, but as the sailing
ship got away on time and is within
Q few days journey Of this port there
should be no actual famine. While
the usual supply of four in the local
market Is in the neighborhood of $4,000
sacks at present there are In the hands
Of the dealers not more than 500 sacks
But It Is not wise to endeavor to accu-
nulate a supply. for the retailers will
not self any -four in large quantities.
In fact, the trade seems to be down to
a en-pound basis, and yesterday all
orders for sacks of flour were scaled
down so per cent.
The bakers are in fair shape, the
average supply being for ten days at
the average rate of consumption. In
case the shortage for households is such
that there must be a drawing upon
the supplies Of bread usually served to
regular customers of the various bak-
cries, then the supply will not last
more than few days. Put in the words
of one grocer, IF there was no supply
in the various households, the -four in
sight would not last the people Of the
city more than two days" Tins under
states the case, however, in that there
was an underestimate of the supplies of
flour in the hands of the bakers, as
some of the grocers thought there was
not more than two days stock in their
hands, while II is FIVE times that
amount.
Flour Is not the only article supplied
by the grocers which is short. Perhaps
next in the list would come all kinds of
smoked meats. For some time there
has been a shortage in these lines but
there has been nothing like a famine.
The bacon and hams which are being
doled out to consumers are the remains
Of large supply which was on hand
when the strike at San Francisco as
sumed proportions. But there has been
little brought in since that time. Po-
tatoes also are in short supply, and so
great has become the demand that
while most grocers are keeping their
regular customers in shape, there are
some dealers who are Offering two cents
a pound more for the goods than they
are bringing at retail.
Canned goods are not in good supply
at all. There are several kind of fruits
which are getting short, and the can
ned milk supply is much below what II
should be. There is canned cream but
this does not move so rapidly. The
supply of canned corn is only fair. and
the worst of 1t all is that there seems
little chance for the filling Of the sup
plies of this commodity. The practical
failure of this crop on account of the
drouth will cause a shortage in all the
various supplies into which 1t enters
So it will he with the fruit crop of Cal
ifornia. for the strike has kept the
Gamers out of at least half of the sup
ply Of the fruit which usually comes to
them
Manager Auerbach of May & Co. said
yesterday: I'VE will have enough of
everything for our customers, but we
will be very short with them. We are
giving no one more than ten pounds of
-four, and will not be able TO do so until
the arrival OF supply. The Sonoma
may have some -four and the
Olympic surely has, but until
there Is a stock received we will
feel very anxious. We will have enough
Of everything else, however. as we laid
In supplies sufficient to carry us
through. There has been no advance Of
prices as yet on account of the short =
age. but there have been advances on
some lines on account of the great ad-
vance in the Coast market. For in
stance the greatest rise Is in corn.
'. here a couple of months ago We could
buy corn for $685. now the same article
ocsts s?s. Bran could have been pur-
chased at the same time for about sl4
and now the rate in San Francisco is
$19. Here the prices have gone as high
as 1872 bid, but there is none in tho
market On bacon the advance has
been marked the same supply which
cost US fourteen cents in the spring be-
ing now quoted at seventeen and one
half cents a pound. This has advanced
the prices here and We have been com
PEELED TO make the higher rate W.
VIII not advance rates unless the il
higher price quoted on the Coast"
Mr. Lewis Of Lewis & Co. said: "Ther,
will be shortage Of supplies until vi
can get a new stock from the Coast
Flour Is so short that we are compelled
to hold all that We have for our regu.
lar customers. The same is true OF po
tatoes and several lines of canned
goods. There is hope that the Olympic
Will have fair supply and that we viii
all get enough to give our customer,
without any serious contraction of sup.
plies. Canned goods in general are In
good supply. but there is decidec
shortage OF cheese. There is some little
shortage OF butter, and We hope thai
the Sonoma will have supply for Us
The cheese supply will come by steam
er. too. All smoked meats are in de-
mand, too, and no one has a heavy SUP.