AMERICAN FLOUR.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2423, 22 December 1880, Page 4

AMERICAN FLOUR.

Once more we hoar of the threatened interference with our fanners in another important line of supply. It had long been considered that, as regards wheat we could always hold our own. That American corn growers could put the grain upon our market at a lower rate than English farmers seemed probable, but the safeguard for the latter was supposed to be in the superiority of their wheat. At any rate, being upon the spot the}' could easily beat the outsider in the matter of flour. Act nothing is more marked than the recent increase in (lie American exportation of flour. American millers are evidently resolved upon pushing the Hour trade with Englaud. They arc ordering new and improved machinery, feeling the advantage which it opens up to them. They have (he raw material close at hand, and in practically unlimited quantities. They are well supplied with the best and cheapest kind of locomotion, whilst the transmission of flour is more profitable than that of wheat, 'Weight for weight is more valuable, and hence the cost of placing it upon (he English market will be considerably less. Were it not that English capital will to some extent benefit by the development of (his Hour trade, we might have some cause for alarm. A portion of it is likely to pass over certain of our Canadian lines of railway. These, especially the Grand Trunk, have paid no dividend for years until now. The prospects of the line are really improving, and with them other Canadian stock will probably go up. If our farmers suffer personally there will be some set-off in the fact that shareholders in Canadian railways will be paid some dividends at last. — Homo News.