THE FLOUR MILLING TRADE IN AUSTRALIA.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12867, 27 July 1907, Page 11

THE FLOUR MILLING TRADE IN AUSTRALIA.

For many year-, p :st, says the "Sydney .Moil,'" the miiiiiit; trade* has suffered tlire:it;h excej.-r.e competition, one of tilt.- worst fiatmes being tho .sysu-ni. or want t>l .system, ol forward .<•.'il.ua to tho lxikei>. '11!o latter have l>ce» iioif u> enter ittto <<;:;:r:»;'ti for ceLverky ot flour extending over pis, liiue, :"nid eVI/U t'.H'iU' .I.Oi.UIS. a!-oi'g-.iiiuiy in forward lH.i,..inj; it ua- t;<in::iiiy understood th.it the ilour ftliouid bo' taken in within three Ui-OlltllS. la wh"io the condition of tilt- <lotti«;v>t,r* t ra>lo appeared to bo noi.M', steps we-re taken lust November by the. nailers to j.'iU their bu-inr-s on a more satisfactory basis, and the Victorian Miuvu tie:.* was established to i;rt) ~<)..- that .Mid. i ro;n latest accounts it. is v.orUini: >iKTt■vsfully. 4*2 out of the 18 niUl-owiiors in tli<> .M.ito In-iun iiHMhbers. i :ie inals of the iiic.i:luTS .-how ;tn <ij£;.;!v;:ato cupac.ty ot ■I!!-! sacks per lioni'. \.!ii!e the output ot those on:,.ile the A--;tieiiUioii only ,M s-M-k* por lio ir. 'I'm- effect upon th< \ hrioriiin hui.-.c trjid--- is reported io_U< lii-iiiy satisli-cttiry. her.ee a de.,ne upon iho part oi .-:i:;;e. ol the Uir^.-'. millers in thi> .v.ili: to foi in a similar association "on sound lined to improve thf condition cf the trado." The coinir.itue ot tho existing Now South Wales Hour Mill-owners' Association reventlv tiiseu-sed tho subject, ami the sei IT-riYv mis iwked to prepore a conder.s.rd draft of nil<s (.!:n;:c]y liii-vd c-n the Victorian rulcsi. whicii will b» submitted to a yner.il meeting oi uiiliers to !,e hr!d shmtly. .■"tilt eir.r;:ncr- and annual subscription fees ore proposed, ;:l.so that the executive <oii!iiiitue whsill fix the iniiniiiuni piic-o for Hour, wheat, meal, sharps, bran, and iioilard for the whole ~i;:le. the ni.es, however, not to si licet the export trade, ihe forward selling of Hour is to be limited to liireo monthi ironi date <.i : sale- i.i-c t ncii qinaitities monthly), payable within GO days o! delivery. If paid for within JO days 1 per cent, di-notini n.ay be aiiu. , . e<l. A small allowance is pioposed for single purchases of very i>arcels. A proposal v :on winch considerable diversity of ojiin on will prevail is, that country* H«"r niay be sold at a concession of '- ; s (kl iH-r ton on the price ol city flour, within a radius ol 'JO miles of tho General Post OHiee. Jnlniid inillor.s have very seldom been «blc to Set from the metropolitan bakois withm .js per ton of the price of the leading city flours, and too often to secure contracts have, they sold at 10s less. There is no gainsaying the fact tlwit many ot the best'country brands are nowadays as Rood as much of that pilled in the city but for various reasons, notably a prejudice on tho part of the baking trade, which is difficult to eradicate, it has been practically impossible to obtain full rates. As far as the regulation of terms and kindred matters am concerned, good rather than harm should result from tiioso proposals; but when it comes to the question ot lixiiit' prices, the Une'itM that arc likely to accrue are not so certain.