THE CERAL FAMINE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 26, 25 October 1907, Page 2

THE CERAL FAMINE.

CAUSES AND CURE. V ; WILL PiOUR RISE T0.£17 A TON? The representative of a' Wellington .produce'firm, speaking to our Wairarapa correspondent . on the threatened cereal famine' in ;New Zealand,. stated' that the' business was in such a condition now that he coiild only sell subject to confirmation. Wheat, barley, and oa;ts were rising'in price fast. Oats went up' 7Jd.'' a' bushel last week,' and he thought' there would be a still further rise. Wheat was .being sold ■ in : tho Wairarapa at 6a. 3d. a bushel, which was equal to £15 a ton for unmilled flour. ' Flour at £14 a ton in Sydney meant £16 a ton .in Wellington.

DEPENDENT ON AUSTRALIA; ■■ ■: The whole question of a further. : rise, depended' upon Australia, but he could not see how a further rise was to be prevented. There was aishortage in. Australia,,and supplies' were practically exhausted here. .The removal of the duty of £1 per ton' on Australian wheat would not help , the, market now, because, New.Zealand merchants were already purchasing as much. foreign wheat as they could lay their hands' on. The bad situation in New. Zealand was intensified by the late -'season caused -by the'', wretched weather for sowing. ' Our Dwindling Grain Ijleids. p ,, ,>■; ' Questioned still further, the representative l said that it was 'unfortunate : that the New Zealand farmers did not do l more sowing; ; It appeared, however, that, they could earn money more easily than by' arable farming, which industry was threatened by the for-mation'-of larm labourers' unions, who' would' have no', eye for anything but their own pockets. The present situation was most acute, and in. every wayi'to- beldeplored.'U ' Flour, £17 per ton. ;■ In .conclusion, .the, representative said • that he .fully expected to see .flour £17 a ton hefore, tho'market became settled...