SHORTAGE OF FLOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1920, Page 4

SHORTAGE OF FLOUR

POSITION IN TIMARU. TIMARU, February 2. “Please notify all millers that no subsidy will be paid unless normal requirements of bakers and others are satisfied in preference to other orders.” This significant message was received this afternoon by all the Timaru millers from the Wheat Controller (Mr W. G. MacDonald). The millers were at a loss to know what it meant till they made enquiry and learned that Air G. Witty, M.P--for. Riccarton, had telegraphed to the Prime Minister on Saturday informing him that Hour hoarding was going on in Christchurch, and that as a result of speculative buying, to get a high price when stocks were bare, grocers and private individuals were unable to buy a bag of flour. Mr Massey replied to this, stating that he would bring the matter under the notice of the Board of Trade inline- , diately.

Mr William Evans, managing d:rector of the Atlas Milk, when seen oa the subject to-day, said that there was no hoarding going on in Timaru, so far as he was aware. He could, of course, speak only for his own mill, which was working full time, and supplying orders as fast as the flour could be manufactured. Re was selling to no speculators, and never sold forward if he could help it. The trouble at present was to got sufficient supplies of wheat. He had only enough to keep his mill going another month, and if fresh supplies were not obtainable, then he would have to shut his mill down. He had telegraphed to Mr Massey, pointing out tlie urgent need for getting over more of the wheat which the Government had purchased in Australia, but Mr Massey said the difficulty was to get freight to bring it over. Other Timaru millers who were seen on the subject also said that, so far as they were aware, there was no hoarding of flour or speculative buying of this commodity in Timaru.