CHALLENGED.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 733, 4 February 1910, Page 6

CHALLENGED.

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLES. "" "ktlV. THEY "ACCURATE? ifßyTelegraph.—Speoial Corresnondent.) ' Christchurch, February 3j The weight of local evidenco goes far to. substantiate' the' complaints; made. by Wellington and-.published- in The Dominion as regards the High CommissiODcr/s.icabled : Mr. A.M.Borthwick (Messrs. T. Borthwick; and. Sons) remarked to a ."Press", thaHthe:.?Higii Commissioner's tabie' .came .at the wrong, time because the' .Frozen .Sleat .Trade Association's quotations,:; which'- are - fuller,, - come on Monday,'-and-'the: association's; prices, as well as those sent .by:'the. High Commissioner, refer to Friday's market... The II igh "Commissioner. and: 'the .'association should discuss-the matter with the view to :,on"e' v or the- other altering the dw on 'which .their ■ quotations, are cabled. By' this .means the'/prices .obtained ,;:at Wednesday's and Fridays markets, would be. cabled;-;. Although' 'Friday is . the biggest market, day, : if ; s any' change place .it' very* often -comes about at Wednesday's market. The r High Commissioner's quotations, like those -of sociation, should be. based on sales,as that Vas the only way.' to arrive at absolute prices.' . v..'.r : Mr,v A..-Kaye .thought ,that the, varia- ; . tions'. in the two sets of • cables might "be due' to: the difference between c.i.f. prices and those obtained'' on; the . market, -:or those 'paid -ex'store. : . • •; -It'was the opinion of . Mr. .F. H. Sandall -(Messrs. Gordon "VVoodroffe; and Co.) that- the vEigh xCommissioner::was -;behmd. thei tmes S ;witn!'liis : -the frozen -riVehfc markets,' 'and : his butter• prices always too .high., As to-hemp he (Mr. - Sandall) . was - unable -to makesales at Home- 'at r :the-:-prices given . m the High -Commissioner's cable,, -whilst the,,frozen'^meat:, priceswere never.vof any use to -him. - .From •. the prices, given in the'-High. Commissioner's cable>far-; raers got elevated 'ideas of. the' state-.of the" 'markets, v' grainand ;• produce.' markets .-;, .. continually, fluctuating,"' r he'"!.- continued;. ■■ ana unless ai man is s in. constant touch- , witii them ' he' cannot report -on them.; : I don't like to fdisparage High'-.-'Commis-sioner's .because* I . don't ; know how' he/could send' better ones. At' .the same :time,- T 'doiw think that tliey aro, worth reading,, and/ as far nk the general run. of': the .trade goosi.,,they-..'could,. be 'dropped .out- of the ■ paper without' .anyone missing' them.". • .. : .' A'somewhaV.different .view, of the qoes? tion-.was taken .by. Mr. A. -. H.'; Turnbullv It/,was, -K'e part:'rbf.;the merchant which "he - 'requires > t'froin• hispagents ;in ]^ridon,-,' : and the' high commerce' quotations'are' a sort. of safety . valve, ' and make farmers , acquainted with: .values ...in ■London. 'Tor toe; sake of the general public,", added Mr.* ' TMrnbull, "we should have the' High cables, but •he 'should. be .'asked to take steps to. pet the information, .as reliable as .possible.-.-Wiiati is wanted is that the cable should, reliably;.and correctly represent trade ■at the tiine- the'cablej-is-sent.',' He-should indicate'/.the'.:"c,i.f •" values for 'here in- the 'current .month;'in which";his quotations:'.appear, arid :sb ;.give- the. pro- ■ ducer -. some ideaof-.the .'.course which ;the marlret is' liKelys to .-.take-at 3oin*;.'>*..£;' i■' A': gentleman . who was ■■ asked regarding the grain 'quotations...remarked'.,that':'he had: no reason; tocomplain of' the-'quota-tions giv.en by: tho . High, Commissioner. •He assumed; : .tlpit the;: prices./ cabled '.were f or' ; the''.benefit.: of..tho/afrTiers,,. and 'were those, obtained in' the markets .or, ex>store; be6ause>.;they;...We.re>>i6.t,i:the .. pricS; paid High' Commissioner's? prices;'- always appeared' to hiVn .to be era; the' high side,'' because he gooted. ex'j' Wore.l.V On:, that . : ',account ,iiis cables, ■wej'e.;not.(:of!,muchti.use;:tq::mer-

chants 1 " i , Mr.' William ; Wpbd' 'remarked' that, as a. general- rule, : cable was. fairly: reliable.' He recognised, bowever, that-.-his,;. quotations - t were - possibly only estimates 'of,.the,, market, and might not represent business • done. !

: OPINIONS IN' AUCKLAND. (By Telegraph;— Special Correspondent.! • v;. Auckland,'„ February ; 3. TheVdissaiisfaction which lias been oxpressed 'in "■Wellington 5 to, ,a Dominion re^resentatiyeV'with'f^M ! ''tb' .the "High Commissioner's'-weekly cablegram is echoed to somo:.extent by 'Auckland meroiants,•-But theredoes not' appear to be]a unanimous'- feeling prevailing. 'There seems .to be a. tendency/.on .the jjart of soma'.firms r not ftttrdook'jnpon ■ the, cable-' gram. m.. a ooijoct .guide, but, ,at the same:time;-'itliey>'consider:; that ..the ! informationvftveiiy^^ Tlie headof one; prominent, -business firm'here, on being,spoken to by a "Herald" ; representative,- stated, that he would be very sorry if the • cablegrams we're discontinued. "No business man, -of course," -he 'said;' "wonld -take/,the, figures given ..as I the JaetuilJ prices,' v as. much tie- > pends on' and the circumstances of the sale. Then, of course, all prices l .'.axe' v '6ubject to fluctuation .under ordinary v'circum'stances." This gentleman.' conddered thai 'the lists: cabled were generally correct,' and, j ta&ng them 'they, were'' vewiuseful." The cablegrams;from Messrs. Dalgety'and Co: and the; IJew. ; Zealand-, Loan - and.- Mer-. c'antile Agency Company tallied as a rule -with. the ;High' Commissioner's cable. ■ In conclusion, ..'the : . gentleman' referred - to: stated that'.he felt, quite' t certain that 'the. information' was';,not obtained ■ haphazard. Somo people, ignorant of '' business methods,'; S'.icli a-s farmers ror Bettlers,; might possibly be misled, occasionally, but .those conversant' with business would not/be 1i A ;membßr if of; : another'- firm expressed that the cablegram,' 'i&speeiallyas'. hemp, was nearlyi always.-.incoiTect. 'It^was' only onoe'or .'twice; that it; had been right in regard to hemp;'; 'He .added that the; 'cablegram ; was nearly' always ,10s.' to 15s. (and sometimes 'more) -> above the'' ruling rate.. ;■'The 'list' given; was absolutely no use. as ; a guide, unless it \was written down : considerably. ..His' firm received, a cablegram- on • January 28 from their -; re-presentative-at'Home;- which. stated, that the;-price ;ruKng,:,forifair hemp.'.was' i 625! ss'. ' . ; On ; the following'; day the Commis-sion's-cablegram valued the : hemp at; lOs.j .aiid''this:iwas' a. fair sample of; continual discrepancies.

: The representative of another »' firm said that,' last;season;-the- list was, fairly rel^le--for.'shatter/but, .this season,, it; was generally Is.. to 2s. m esses of the firm's'private advices. For ■instance, the .firm's information ' wafl '.that. butter - was ruling'-at 112s.,.aiid ;the; Commissioner's cablegram . quoted 114s. This. did not seem' to:\be 'a; serious '- matter at : first :sight/. ■ biii' lb., which.. meant ;a .big-, item in a' large consignment: ■ There: ..wa^,:', however,'' a totuoli larger- difference 'in the prices quoted for hemp:: Theprice of cheese was, as a rule, quoted correctly. -