The Motueka Star PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. “Te Ora Mote Iwi." FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1903.

Motueka Star, Volume IV, Issue 155, 13 February 1903, Page 3

The Motueka Star PUBLISHED TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. “Te Ora Mote Iwi." FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1903.

The flour combine established in Ne.v Zealand, which, amongst other things, regulates the price, a few days since reduced the price of flour from ,£l3 to „£l2. To consumers of bread this was, as a matter of course, looked upon with favor, but the millers in various pa its entered a protest, alleging that they could not turn it out at the reduced figure owing to the high price of wheat, and consequently the combine has again raised the price t > £\?>. This >< where town versus country comes in. Had tlie price been kept down it meant that the price of wheat would have to be reduced, which would be a serious blow to the farmers or wheat producers. With the high price of land, in this heaven blest country of prosperity, and the high rate of wages regulated by the labor unions, it is impossible to produce wheat at from 2s 6d to 3s per bushel, and the consequence is that the receivers of higher wages must expect to pay a higher price for the necessaries of life, of which their own agitation and demands has increased the cost of production. This is a very simple rudimentary economic law, but. town workers are very loth to admit it. They appear to have an idea that wheat and other agricultural products are of spontaneous growth, and that any labor bestowed by the farmer or his family on them is merely amusement to toem and provides the necessarv physical exercise required to keep them in good health. If they would include the farmer and his family in their eight hours agitation at a "bob" an hour they would find then four pound loaf costing them somewhere about a shilling, acd the butter to spread on it nearer two shillings a pound than the present price, and all other farm productions increased in similar proportions.