DROUGHT IN AUSTRALlA. GREAT DEMAND FOR NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 321, 1 December 1888, Page 6

DROUGHT IN AUSTRALIA. GREAT DEMAND FOR NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

Australia's misfortune would appear to be New Zealand's opportunity in respect of the great demand for farm produce caused by the drought now prevalent it> the sister colony. The value of farm produce, and more especially of fodder, has been considerably enhanced, and it is somewhat unfoitunate that suitable \essels for the conveyance of freight are not available at reasonable rate&. The quantity of farm pioduco now ollering for Sydney is veiy laige, and efforts are being made to iiuhice the Union Steamship Company to res inn o their weekly services bets\cen Sydney and tbi& port in order to meet the emergency. We j learn, on inquiry fiom Mi Tiio-s Henderson, Auckland managei for the Union Company, that, there has of late been a considerable increase in the quantity of freight offering for Sydney atthispoit. Theie is no perceptible increase in the cargo offering for Melbourne, but thib i=* accounted for by the factthatAle bourneshipments aie chielly made from the other end ot the colony, Bluff being the final port of call in New Zealand. For Sydney thee is an in ci eased amount of fi eight olleied in all kindt of farm pioduce, and more especially in foddei . It has been st-ited that the Union Company refuted to take chad by the Tarawera, but this is not t-o, the Company being prepared to accept chaff as well as other height, if shippeis will pay a remunerative price for conveyance. Hitherto chaff has been carried to Sydney for 30s per ton, but then there was not so much cargo offering as at present. One result of the diought has been to raise the freight to 40s per ton, and even at that it will not pay so well as ordinary cargo. Even when subjected to hydraulic preo&uie, chaff represents 3-\ tons> to the ton weight, and it would not pay to till up a steamci at thai late. The Tarawera, which is to leave !or Sydney at 5 p.m. to-morrow, will have about 400 tons produce, including flour, butter, grain, chart, etc., and she is expected to bo a lull bhip. I As for resuming the weekly service, the in ducement does not appear ro bo suiiieienC at present. The cargo earned by the Union steamers from Sjdney to Auckland only amounts to about 200 tons a month, and it is this want of return eu - go along with a tailing' off in the passenger traffic that causes the Company to hesitate before acceding to the request to provide increased facilities for shipment or Auckland produce. From Mr C. B. Stone, of the linn of Stone Bros., \.e learn that there is an active inquiry from Australia for all kinds of grain and dairy produce grown in this colony. There is also a corresponding increase in the demand for suitable vessels to proceed fiom this port to Sydney, and vessel? cannot be ob tamed except at> very high rate-. Messrs Stone Bros, have the schooner Sybil loading at this port for Sydney with general farm produce, including a large quantity of fodder, and she is expected to got away on Saturday next. The same tirm has chartered the schooner Orpheus to follow, also with pioduce for Sydney, and she is expected to nil up lapidly. There have been two ot tluee inquiries for other vessels, but ho far none have been found available.