FLOUR AND BREAD.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 529, 9 June 1909, Page 4

FLOUR AND BREAD.

A SPLIT IN THE ASSOCIATION.

IS IT DYING? ' / - , D>T.TKMGIUPn—SPECIAL. COItRKPONDENT.) .Ctiristohurch, Juco 8 Tho' Timaru representative of the Christchurch "Press" wts yesterday informed, on' reliable authority,.thai, : at the present.time,-i / tho Me of tho Flouimilkra' Association ij just hanging in tho balanco, and* that' it .., would .toko very httlo.iww.to cause tho association to ceaso to bo,-whilo, on the other .. hand, it will'tako a strong pull, . and a lot. of tact,: to patoh things up and X . the Msociation In the meanv / '"no, 4he millers .vato;,keeping up tho price of::flour-in their 'offit interest, 'and not by reason of any compulsion-from tho Millers' Association, as.this body:.is now in the p05i- ....... tion of being without: that. for which it was primarily formed—jiamoly, an agreement to' S °H at prices fixed from ..'time: to time by tho association, and not to produce more than a certain fixed outputs • • ,

Was an Agreement Signed In Chrlstchurch? 'A/ peculiar cimimstance ris that'sotno fflik nPy a V at tliOrnieeting recently held, in Christehuroh, they;; were asked and con-' sonted to sign an• agreement '.to'continue. nnder : the old conditions for another; three" months; whilo. at least ono who was at tho meeting doclarcs that 's^'a pfojKwitwn .was never put to tho meeting, 'nor, was it agreed upon.-. Some say also:'that,they have since ; been asked to si^n' such 'an.agreement, audhave refused, whilo:. at-!least ono miller aaya ■that he ..was never asked.ito sign, nor 'even shown a copy.of the.proposed,agreement.

Six Mills Reject ■ the Agreement, ■' • ar ® l eas ' six ■ niills ■in the Dominion which have not signed any. agreement to con-. tinuo for a further tofm <if tiirco months, or > any other period under'the/old system. These .mills are sow wcrrta'ng though they have not so far departed from tho prices ' fixed by tha iuswatlfiC'^Geritle/'but' firm pressure is -being applied to the refractory ones, in . the hope that: thoy will fall in-with too views of the association'and join tho fold- . . onoe more, but they.appear not to bo ahxions to be bound by ,any hariand fast roles again, . "P' 633 thc> 'i: wishes aro decked to. The .. difterenco between them-isVndt: a: very great • one ' the.cpnce'ssioq demanded ov one of the Timarn; mills/,is agreed to-and . the E ri } n ting of involve similar - concessions .-to . :asso<S£ ,cas . 8 ~ lifo / Will . have ati iMrtl l nnfe,T 3 u r t? em I > ? rs } I ' p - In taat ease it _is doubtful whether. :the. ; assoeiation could : : -,:east ; for any length;of.'^feTwith'• several of' i^o^;'^ e :™ os .V-}mpor.tant;.;milla;.'*#brking indepen- '- iniS : ?t! ''•*&s' lla? ''nwer thrown .in.its lotwiththe•:as^o,ciated ;millers.' A Fighting Mill 1 In Tlmaru. : T i» e Timaru mill referred has riven'its . final answer as to whether it wdl or ,vil" not . ' S w "'> r the dlr Jf. 11 ? 10 ?' or worlc-independently. Should also rS'our 310 °^ er "I* whloh . ! ' The association apportion' riiit V V 9 r -^ l "s. floor among . nt6st'' : bf, the mills'.notwithstanding : that millers are' not now'' dictated ■ J! te reporter gathered fur- ; : , ther that, praoticallyvalfcthe itrouble in eonagreement K is admitted that, th 6 association strong vW.' Evans 1; sa i d^?fi :*&',fratited a® '■'"■ : lSn^jT m ' 3™ t IS a Application of the . gentle-. art" of j^rsuasion,. and, in this direction, much ,3 tho new ... of

Possible Outcomof' Vafy .cheap Flour. /Tffo of the biggest mills m tho Dominion are now working independently, of the association,.and it is prodioted/that':if ,the ; *mcot°n ? UrS . d *? "» Prolut tive of no decision bo united again as » Infpv ftmiJv a™tfm£ war will be Started immediately,' tfiat miller! •My.Pnc'ea,' and corisumors reap»ae4Bße6fc-."ln : nssqoiation y has ndt done- anything t 0 : brine down the pneo of wheat to the ferner. THE RUMOURED CRAIH CORNER. (fll tßincPAiri- pr.d moriA-tiaf, , 'i' i *i ■■■ji l; '■■■-'*. Juno 8"' ; % to .s® statement of Mr; H: Wood ' ihairman of tho Ivcw Zealand Fr n ,, r J,ii™! hr£ J'l bcol \,"°.i b n in g of frWt on any. Wtk*;■ and: thai f or the/paefc tSk o£ : /twtr boen of a'tann in mouth character,.a "Herald"i&Sfc, was-informed .to-day that if „ I .been rin .ftignf*.Zealand' 'buying* &aiV' fA'r past two monitors the pmpd» rf ftjgj|§* #:,*°od hid ovorfooked the'fact th'if' nf V=fc^-\ap^t3&nfci.flu»mi l :djf:-2;d00"*006 'nf"Jwi shipped -to London . Tvhich was conclnsiyo-. proof."of how'-' flin "i*'r mßrs jnfended. to foS

OANTERBURY * THE "CORNER", RUMOUIt'-IIIDICULED t„ + * • t ' Chf/stflhtirchr-June 8. ■„ ftf rt St fld 7'S o , from London quotas ■ ' u e f n ?i C { 6± " 0r buahc l Now now - being 4ls .:.v., 3d., .against;4ls/ 9d., last week., practically, no;: wheat; / -being'. bbiiEhM'. fromor ■ ■' /■" W,i srf shl PP, l "e,: al l their stocks on' , ' hand. Farmers are holding firmly and, with the.. Presonl^stato/of i; the ' shipperß .aro-unablo to, make' any. advance'* that two Australian buyers intend purchase the whole of Now Zealand's surZ : .■ • ; 6> Such a rumour niay. tend -to , firn.lr '■ ™nr/ I °Ti. ?L GI ; aro °f average , quality than those/thrsshea -earlier thT- •;' S V '^ r0 J 5 nof i. ■ S - n(rtm "di demand -in view of tb niT nd °n niafk6t ■ but those .; 6d. for .gflti.d jgartoilSj! thojlgh Is. (s*d ha^ • been'givjn f or Sl)eci!l f ]v pr ?,f ia ■ • ■$' ; ® r|6d g«toi>! : ■ t tfl! ty'V"4"' U ®tols; of-gavtdtis fltid Nations S ■ duns at' Is. od. at country

PTAPO VIEW OF AUCKLAND PRIOfiS. , . Dunidlrt, June 8. In conseqfleiicft of, the telegram from Auck- ■. vJan£ witfr raferenca ;i;e the position of wheat' ■: : aD d . predicting ' a m great : rise., in ihe> near : future,-a Daily Times"; ■reporter, made ex'.V 'inquiries ; ;amohg iliti- ' >:'ii» a Wjngagedyin'WMde ,;aS to' tho degree . of, truth, contained in-;, the" r telegram. 1 'One point m this telegram was that, in- propor™n t? tho prosoht price of wheat, the rat" ' i .ft' ; ™ch flour.,wa»: selling :-wfts - liiromunora6vvo to tho mannfactnrors, and it was said » northern miller that tbo Auckland price £12 10s V at '-IMJt £13 • in plaeo of A lending miller hero .said ; The shipping : £10 10s, f.0.b., less 2f pet';6ent. discount. /, lo got the-Auckland price, vou,must add cost of frcignt (95.), and wharfage (ls.'6d) r land at £11:0s, .61, and, from this, you deK, u Tl' ) t,lc P" 00 ill lyji. to th Atickland baker. A-,southern miller has even ; sold;to Aucklandat ; £lo 15s • delivered into the bakehouse: If tho Auckland miller sells Itio baker "at '£12 lOsJ,' vou must »sk him-wb#t-discount ho allows. The' i P<witiOTi; is, that .the-Auckland .bakers ealcu. , *?te tho prico i of :b«id te ? flour/ £12 10s. per ton but tllcy dotft pay ttiatthey get big s discounts.-r-Wierr-' Aaekkfl/j . baltwS; can get ;the. very best .soutliorn .'llatir : landed at ■their-doorg'.for £10.:iB':,"it/stSnds' to reason that tlay will not pay £12 103

i for it. Thoro is a raillm Auckland which poses as tli6 working man's friend/- but raich is really, working hand-in-glovo with bakers, It keeps tho price nominally JVSh' and -. allows heavy - trade discounts by threatening, 'bilkers to»jrcduco tho■■ prico of flour, iandj.tniis. cansejithein to rcduco* the price of bread .to tho public. It continuos fo do ..business, >but at irate?/ which are really, on fcho:soufcbernbasis. I ':s ,'iha miller expressed t(jo opinion that tho visit, of Australians to buy up our surplus wheat was unlikely.