The Farm.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 45, 3 February 1894, Page 12

The Farm.

WHEAT PURCHASES

At the last meeting of the Gore Farmers’ Club, the secretary read a copy of a circular he had sent out regarding wheat purchases and no discounts, bags to be paid for. Favourable replies had been received from the Waimate Roller Mills; O’Hallen, Sheet and Co., Oamaru; J. C. Gow, Shag Valley Mills ; J. MacGibbon and Sons, Gore; Fleming, Gilkison and Co., Gore and Invercargill ; D. S. Montagu, Oamaru, Darling and Milne, Oamaru, J. H. C Hunter, Gore ; J. G. Ward Association, Gore and Invercargill; Linott and Co., Dunedin; Farmers’ Club, Tapauui ; R. Hudson and Co., Dunedin; Ireland and Co., Oamaru ; and Nichol Bros., Invercargill.—The last named firm wrote .—“ We were the first to introduce the net cash system of payment for grain in Invercargill: this was in 1880. We are of opinion that the net cash system is the best for the buyer as well as the seller. We are in favour of bags being paid for, as it makes the system uniform and it suits the farmer best. Personally we think if the grower gave the bag in he would get the equivalent in the price being increased for the grain to the extent of the value of the bag, but the farmers do not think so ;so as business men hold that it makes no difference whether the bag is paid for or not, it is best to humour the grower and (pay him for his bag.”— Unfavourable replies were received from James Fotheringham, Dunedin ; Henry Harraway, Green Island ; the Tuapeka Milling Co., Lawrence ; and the Otago A. and P. Association, Dunedin. —Mr R. Dickson said his contention was this, that if a farmer sold 2000 bags of oats at Is 6d, his yearly loss by the charge exacted by buyers, viz., 11b on each

bag, amounted to the sum of £3 15s. Taking wheat, it would be found that on the same number of bags at 601bs the annual loss to the farmer was £4 19s, the price being assessed at 3s per bushel. If they took any ordinaiy firm’s operations for a season, there would be a bit of a surprise for the farmer, as £750 went into the pocket of the buyer of average quantities.—The matter was not further discussed. —Southern Standard.