SHORTAGE OF FLOUR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2346, 31 December 1914, Page 8

SHORTAGE OF FLOUR

THE POSITION IN NAPIER(By Tflleiraph.—Special CorreepondenW Napier, December 30. The shortage of.flour which is being' experienced throughout tho Dominion is keenly,felt in the Hawke's Bay distriot at the present time, and in Napier.to-day there is only about sufficient flour (to last for a fortnight at the very outside, and some of the millers are out of stocks. One firm holds enough to supply their customers for about three weeks and they have already recently lent to bakers who usually draw their supplies from other sources thus onabling them to keep their bakeries going. Had;.this not been done at least two or three of the bakers would havo already closed down. "The real position is, said a wellknown merchant on being interviewed this- morning, "that there has been a great shortage of wheat in New Zealand, and my honest opinion is.. that that 'is largely duo to the fact that the farmers, owing to the difficulties, experienced in ■ obtaining suitablo labour at the right season, do not care to go in for growing wheat. They prefer mixed farming and : consequently we do not grow enough wheat hi New Zealand. Had it not been for the large and continuous importations of flour from Australia throughout the year until the export was forbidden, we should have been absolutely without it. and the present' crisis would have come much sooner. But for the aotion'of the Government in fixing the price of flour prices would have been very much higher during the last month. Under ordinary circumstances | we should have been drawing flour from Canada and 'Australia and though even then the prices would have gone up there would not have' been any shortage here. As ib is the amount of flour in New Zealand is very limited. The Government fixed the price of flour at £13 a ton, but it is impossible- for the millers to sell.it under £16 a ton. The .Government'has fixed the price at ss.*3d. a.bushel for wheat, but it is not procurable at that figure.: The result is that not a single miller in the.Dominion has booked a ton of flour for about six weeks. The millers won't accept the price .fixed by the Government and had not the bakers been suppliod by merchants their stocks would now have been practically oxhausted._ There is a certain amount of flour in New Zealand, but the people are not going to supply it at the prices fixed. There is probably sufficient in New Zealand if the restrictions are removed to. relieve the pressure until the wheat which ,is. afloat is delivered. At a special meeting of the Napier Chamber.of Commerce,, held this afternoon, to consider the position, the fol-lowing-resolution was carried:''' That the Government. be asked that the restriction on wheat and flour be put in general application throughout the whole of. New Zealand,"