LOOKING BACK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLII, Issue 9373, 31 October 1921, Page 7

LOOKING BACK.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. (From the "Guardian," Oct. 31, 1896.) Four shillings a bushel was offered yesterday m Ashburton for a line of wheat — and refused by the vendor. The excitement m the Christchurch wheat market still continues, and it is said that many ecood judges calculate upon the price of wheat being 5s before the end of the year. The explanation is to be found m the fact that a belief exists that the visible supply m America has been exaggerated, and also m the rumours of a bad harvest threatening Australia. Moreover, the discovery that New Zealand stocks are by no means so large_ as was supposed has brought millers into the market. But it is very difficult to foresee the effect upon the ultimate price of wheat of the present excitement. The Hon. W. P. Reeves, High Com-, missioner, states that despite the energy of individual firms there is ample room for improving the New | Zealand produce trade, especially m | sea and land transport, storage, handling and distributing, and pushing business m the provinces. He says New Zealand meat is often carried along with that from River Plate, the former suffering thereby. Such practices form a greater obstacle to the success of the trade than prejudice. Mr Reeves considers an Advisory Committee m London would- do a considerable amount of good. Of the show exhibits, Mr C. Reid's three exhibits of vehicles attracted a great deal of attention ftom the visitors during the day, and they were certainly excellently made, and trimmed and painted m first-class order. He was highly commended for his patent-seated rustic sociable springcart and his farmer's spring dray. Mr Robert Walker's bot fly remedies are so well known, and so efficacious m their results, that it would be "painting the lily and gilding gold" for us to praise them. The spring meeting of the Ashburton Trotting Club is being held on the showground trotting track this afternoon. Following are the results of races up to the time of going to press : Maiden Handicap, of 10 soys ; two miles — Statesman, llsec (Hay Smith), 1; J. E. Rotciv, 12sec (T. Cotton), 2. Won easily. Dividend, £16 4s. Electric Handicap, -of 20 soys; one mile and a half — Waihi, 26sec (C. Harold), 1; Toby, 15sec, 2; Belfast Pat, 26sec j(E. Price), 3. Won comfortably. Dividend, £2 Is. Lagmhor Handicap (harness), of 20 soys; two miles — Arahura, 12sec (C. Harold), 1; Tracey Belle, 30sec (Morrison), 2. Won by two lengths. Dividend, £1 17s.