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Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 915, 3 July 1871, Page 2

Victoria. — The agricultural statistics published by th 9 Government, and received by last mail show that there is a deficiency of 2,800,000 bushels in the last crop of wheat. This represents about 70,000 tons of flour. The Government statistics recently received from Adelaide show that the last harvest, though a good one for South Australia, only yielded a surplus of 110,000 tons of flour available for export. As the colony of Victoria can supply its own wants in the way of breadstuffs when it has an average harvest, and as New South Wales and Queensland always draw largely upon Adelaide, it is clear that this year there will be no surplus in these colonies for exportation to the United Kingdom. But as a considerable quautity of wheat and flour has already beeu exported since last harvest from the various colonies of Australasia to the United Kingdom, it follows that our food supplies may run short before next harvest. The millers of Victoria have petitioned against the duty on flour, which, they say, amounts to LI 7s per ton, placing them at a disadvantage compared with the competing millers outside the Colony ; the duty and wharfage on imported flour being LI 4s 6d per ton. They say nothing on the subject of freight, which properly falls on imported flour, and should have been noticed, in order to make the comparison complete.