WHEAT AND FLOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 65, 17 March 1915, Page 7

WHEAT AND FLOUR.

■ PRICES IN CANTEKBTJKY. (By Te'.egraph. - Tress Association.! CHRISTUII'RCH, Tuesday. A recent cable message from Meltiotrrne stated that the price tixed by the Government for flour made from imported wheat wa* Cl 6 per ton. A private cable mesvsnee was sent to Melbourne irom t'hristciiurch asking if this •iras correct, and a reply was received that the price tixed was £17 per ton. The imp.irt.ed wheat cost S/3 per bushel. «nd was sold to millers at 7/8 on the understanding that the price of flour •was not more than £17 per ton. the millers to make rheir own terms regarding the prirt- of bran and pollard. The price quotrd in Melbourne for bran is .£9, and p.illard £11 5/ per ton. the prices for flour, bran, and pollard being net. An attempt has been made to show that flour in ( hristehurch at £.17 1-V per ton is proportionately higher than feat made from wheat costing more money in Melbourne, but in Ohristehurch the price of bran is only £7 5/, or £7 per ton for shipping, and pollard is £8. as against £0 and £11 5/ net for bran and pollard in Melbourne. The (Tbristemirch prices for flour, bran, and pollard are all subject to a discount of Z\ per cent. The local wheat market has eased somewhat further, and the average price is now about ti !• at country stations. A iew sales have been made as low as 6/8, and the outside price is now not more than 6/10. The proclamation prohibiting the export of oats hag had a steadying effect upon the market for this cereal. Inquiries have been made by merchants as to whether they will he allowed to complete contracts entered into with Australian buyers. An n a repl y has been received from the Prime Minister to the effect thai, they will not b P allowed to do so except under special circumstances. Prices have shown no change, but there is an easier feeling in the market. TRAMWAY UNION'S PROTEST. (By Telegraph.—Tress Association.) DUNEDIN. this day. The Otago Tramway* Union, at Its annual meeting, passed a resolution expressing the opinion that the Government is showing lamentable weakness in permitting the public to be exploited in regard to high prices of foodstuffs, especially in allowing the Flnurmillers' Association to charge £17 10/ a ton foj flour milled from State wheat, which was sold to millers to enable them to sell flour at £14 10. and protest against this barefaced exploitation bein» permitted to continue.''