The Daily News MONDAY, MAY 20th, 1907. RISE IN PRICE OF FLOUR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 20 May 1907, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, MAY 20th, 1907. RISE IN PRICE OF FLOUR.

'I he price of Hour seeing to be on the ' lise throughout tiie world. in America the advance is de-cribed by the cables as "sensational,' anil tlli» same ilescriplion applies 10 the jump prices nave tnken during the last few days in this colony. 'the Hour .Millers' Associate)!! iucrea-ed the price 10s par ton on !'rid;y last. Just a few days before Uiey put up tiie price by Ills, milking til.- increase CI for the wee:.. Supplies, it is estimated, are -liort througtiout the world, and this is given as a reason for the advance, which of course will make itself felt on tiie people. It is estimated that the wheat, crop is on the short side ill New Zealand. The Department of Agriculiuie however, does not regard the shortage

as serious. The area under wheat last year was 213,000 acres, as again-t 223.000 the year before, and tile lieu res for the preceding few years are. counting backwards, 250,000 acres, 231,000 aerris, 10.1) 000 acres, 107,000 acres, and 208,000 acres. Last year the yield of wheat per acre was 30.00 bushels, but it is not anticipated that tile yield will lie within some bushels of that amount this year, largely on account of the drought. The amount of wheat on hand when the statistics were taken was about 3 000,000 bushels, or some 100,000 bushels more than at the same time the previous year, and that quantity would he pretty well all dispos"d of before the new crop came to hand. The Department, however, considers that there will be sullicient whe.it grown for our own requirements, anil that there will be no particular necessity to resort to importation. In conversation with a Post representative, Messrs D. \V. Virtue and Co said that the millers had been wanting to put up the price of flour for some time past, as there was, they declared, no profit on the priceruling. As to prices generally, it was stated that at the present time fowlj v.'heat was fetching a bigger price .than milling wheat did a month ago. The shortage is, of course, due to the drought of last year, and farmers are naturally holding for a rise, in addition to which prices are hardening in Australia and at Home. liven -o. however, it must be remembered that for many years t'tl f.o.b. for Hour was regarded as the bedrock price, and cant 1 not at present be regarded as in any way extraordinary. At present there is very little, if any, wheat or flour being imported, and it is not likely that any will be brought ill while Australian prices remain firm. On the other hand, Messrs Virtue and Co. consider that there is no reason to anticipate anything like an extraordinary rise in prices. The present ri>e is not exceptional, and, unless the outside conditions alter very much, there is no prospect of future rises reaeii-

ing exorbilant rates. Further enquiries made by the l'ost go to show Jhal the. public in some centres may in the near future expect to see a rise ill the price of bread. l'or a long time past Wellington bakers have siiil that with the loaf at 3,1 the baking trade did not pay. The rise in tiie price of Hour will probably, therefore, bring the matter to a head, and result in an extra half-penny being charged for the. 21b loaf in Wellington and other places where bread his been selling at 3d.