FLOUR AND WHEAT.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 365, 15 March 1902, Page 4

FLOUR AND WHEAT.

(Timaru Post.)

Flour has gone up another ten shillings a ton, and in view of shat fast it will t e interesting to reprint some figures laid before the Prebblcton branch of the Farmers’ Union on Wednesday night by Mr Geo. Witty, a member oi the North Canterbury executive of the Union. At present, Mr Witty said, the farmers were getting a fair price for their wheat, but he certainly thought that the millers were getting far too much for the Hour. He quoted the following figures, which he explained were approximate, regarding the price of wheat and flour :—ln Adelaide, wheat was 3s 3d per bushel, or £6 bs per ton ; flour was £7 10s per ton, the cost of grinding being .£1 *2s. In Melbourne, wheat was £6 13a per ton, Hour £7 15s, grinding £1 33 6d. In Sydney, wheat was £6 16s 4d per ton, flour £7 12s 6d, grinding 16s 2d. In New Zealand, wheat was 2s 10c! per bushel at the mills, or £5 7s 4d per ton, flour was £B, the grinding costing £2 7s Bd. In England, wheat was 3s 9d per bushel, or £7 10s per ton. He had been unable to ascertain the price of flour, but bread was

quoted at 4Ad for 4!b loaf, whilst here it was 6d. They had to send that wheat 13,000 miles, and though it was 28s per quarter at Home, bread was cheaper there. Of course labor was much cheaper at Home, but who was reaping the benefit in this colony '? Not the farmer nor the farm laborers, but simply a few wealthy men who were putting up the price of flour as they liked. It was to prevent this that the farmers combined, and to try and alter similar abuses and obtain for the farmers a fair share of the wealth they created. Again, Canterbury flour has been sold in Auckland for £6 10s, as compared with £8 here, simply to crush some nonunion mill. The millers not only ruled the price of flour, but they rule I the bakers, and it was the miller and not the baker who fixed the price of bread. He quoted the following figures to show the amount of profit the bakers made : A sack of flour cost 16s, and with charges amounted to £1 2s 9d ; calculating sixty-eight loaves to the sack, the baker made £1 8s 4d, or a little over 5s a sack. The baker was not the man who was making a profit; it was simply the miller.