WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 36, 14 June 1845, Page 4

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

[Prom the Perth Inquirer, February 12.] Commissariat Tenders. — The tenders for the supply of 1,500 bushels of wheat for the use of Her Majesty's service, were opened on Thursday last, and accepted at prices varying from ss. lOd. to 6s. per bushel, being an increase of 6d. per bushel upon the prices of last year. The lowest tender was at ss. 10d., and, we believe, the highest at 6s. lOd. If we take the expense of the bags, and of the delivery at the store in Perth, at lOd. per bushel, which we are informed is a fair estimate, it will give rather more than 4s. a bushel as the average price of the wheat accepted. Three out of the four successful competitors, viz. : Messrs. Lefroy, Mr. J. Mackie, and Mr. J. T. Cooke, are farmers in the York district, and it is rather strange that the wheatgrowers in the more immediate neighbourhood of Perth, upon whom the expense of delivery must fall much lighter, should have allowed themselves to have been so completely beaten out of the field. The grinding has been taken at Is. per bushel. Tenders for four tons of flour were also opened at the same time, and accepted at £14 : 9s. per ton. All the samples forwarded were of colonial flour., except one, which was tendered at much the highest price of all ; showing, as it would seem, that our own farmers are still able successfully to compete with the foreign grower. It is worthy of remark, that the price thus given for flour is considerably lower in proportion to the price obtained for the wheat. We will take the expenses of bags, and delivery, to be the same on each. Twenty per cent, flour (481b. to the bushel) for wheat at 65., with Is. per bushel added for grinding, would come to £16:6:8 per ton ; but as some of the wheat taken was below 55., let us say that the flour to be obtained from the wheat thus purchased by the Commissariat will cost the Government £16 per ton. On the other hand, they buy the flour, at once, on the very same day, for £14 : 9s. per ton. i The difference has been quite the other way, and for a long time we have had the farmers alleging that the disproportion between the price x>f wheat and flour was owing to the operations of the miller, who has been accused of running away with all the profit. The miller has now a fair opportunity for retort.