COMMERCIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2213, 10 June 1908, Page 1

COMMERCIAL.

From mail v quarters have come complaints that the partition of the big estates is damaging the sheep industry because it bursts up tile big stud nooks land 1 scatters them to the ends of the Dominion, to lose tlhoir identity 'in the common mobs (says the New Zealand “Times”). The damage is perhaps over-estimated. It is further said that sm all pastqralists do not keep good studs. This may be correct to some extent, but it is contended by others that if the large pastoralists, with their .famous high- , quality flocks, vanished, tilio small men would ho encouraged to go mere largely into stud work for themselves. AVhotifier tlioir success would bo equal to that of the men with greater flocks may bo doubted, but at all events the disaster would scarcely he so complete as b sometimes predicted. In Canterbury just now there are a great many high-class stud flocks of small dimensions. These figures show tho numbers of sheep Owned by Canterbury men whoso names figure in the pure 'breed classes at tho best shows: —773, . 828, 872, 887, 972, 1100, 1147, • 1354,' 1412, 1500, 1750, 1869, 3700, 1354, 1412, 1500, 1750, 1869, 3700, 14,000, 15,000, 40,000, etc. The* New South Wales Minister for Agriculture lias received a report from Mr J. B. Suttor, the New South Wales Commissioner for Trade in the East, wherein lie comments on the, progress of the Hong Kong Flour Milling Company and the prospects for tho future export of Australian wheat. It appears that after eleven months’ operations the company has produced a satisfactory balance-sheet. In view of tho marked activity now displayed in connection with the 'milling of wheat in China, Manchuria, and Siberia, Mr Suttor dees not anticipate that flour importations to Hong Kong tvill' show a marked activity in tho future. Afore attention will lie devoted to grain importations for local milling with the cheap and ada-p;table labor available, which already enables the ilocal milled flour to to 'keep in check flour milled by highpriced tabor in otter countries. China and Manchuria have not yet produced' a wheat equal to the Australian for gluten and whiteness—very important considerations in connection with tho China market, so that any reduction in the flour trade may be more than compensated for by the increased trade in grain. Eact year appears to prove that the consumption of flour is increasing at a greater rate than was the case some five years ago ; and when it is considered (says the “Sydney Morning Herald”) that there are over 440,000,000 of people in China, apart from adjacent countries, and that we are only dealing, so far, with a very limited percentage of the Chinese jMipulation, this must augur well for the future. If 4-all the Aisatics take to the consumption of flour as the Chinese and Japanese are doing, it will bo a question in a few years from mow as to where the flour or grain is to come from.