INCONSISTENT WOOL AND GRAIN REPORTS.

Lake County Press, Issue 701, 26 March 1896, Page 7

INCONSISTENT WOOL AND GRAIN REPORTS.

TO THK RDITOR. Sir, —We wired you last week and promised to answer fully “ A Farmer’s ” “ inconsistent wool and grain reports,” and last week we see this letter backed up by Mr W, E. Reynolds by trotting out the reports of sales held by two ether firms here last week. Now, we must quite agree with “ A Farmer ” and Mr Reynolds that there is an inconsistency, in fact a very great and serious one, but the inconsistency is not ours, and we can only attribute this—that our friends here do not at present handle the class of barley which we have quoted and sold, which we will prove and have proved already by asking all the farmers in your district to put their whole crops under offer through usat 3s 6d (sacksextra) at Frankton, as we have a buyer at that price. Barley must be prime, bright, plump, mellow, and well dressed. The reason we asked your farmers to do so, is simply that our buyer wants a firm offer of same, as he is not prepared to act both, as seller and'buyer. This means 4s here. Where is “ A Farmer ° now 'i But for the enlightment of your numerous readers, wo will give you further inconsistencies (so-called by “ A Farmer”) very often occurring in market reports here, as also borno out by Mr Reynolds’s illustration, but which we should certainly not call inconsistencies, but, as pointed out before, one agent might handle “ produce ” or “ grain ” and sell while the others do not, and sometimes one agent might be on the “ alert ” looking out for likely rises and just effects a good sale, and reports same while the others are caught “napping” and we will illustrate it lower down. Our practice invariably is, “ First up, and last down. • Neither do we ever purchase farmers’ produce on our own account at any price. “A Farmer” was much concerned about our wool sales. This was our first year, and we are told we have done fairly well, considering it is the most conservative business out. We did not miss a sale and sold as follows : First sale, 81 bales ; second sale, 138 bales; third sale, 104 bales ; fourth bale, 49 bales ; sold privately, 28—total, 400 bales. We trust that this will satisfy “A Farmer." Terms are always payment within S days of delivery. Sometimes-demand, draft, and often, if the farmer is “hard up” he gets payment before delivery, provided he is an honest man. Rut we are sorry to say that vsry often the farmers do not treat the agents in the same liberal manner, as we have often to" wait from 12 to JS mouths tor our money after supplying comaacks, seeds, and other necessaries. The credit system between agents and farmer is a very onesided affair, and wo feel sure the farmer has the best of it.

“A Farmer” next sajs the market hna really not opened yet foi barley. He is fully mistaken here. V\ e man lain the market has never closed. “A Farmer” r.uis away \'ilh the idea that because the Lake and Southland bailey is not yet offered, the market has not opened. “A Fanner” thinks his district is New Zealand, and this is really where hia whole erroneous idea comes in. Wc have sold new season’s barley for some six weeks already from the Oamani District at from 3s 3d to 3s 7d, on trucks, Oamaru, which is equal up to 3s lOd here. Barley has also been offered lor some 6 weeks from Christchurch, Blenheim, and Nelson at 4s, and up to 4s 3d, f.o.b. Of course no business resulted, but these prices have been got from North Island buyers. Kindly look up Christchurch produce report in the Mercantile Gazette, 12Ui March. Quotation there is 3s 9d to 4s. Now for a few more Inconsistencies, and here will point out that we are at any time prepared to show any farmer actual sales at prices quoted by us, and, failing this, actual demand at prices quoted, in the shape of orders, which we have now for barley at equal to 4 s here. If you look up Dunedin market report of the 31st of October, 1895, you find it reported by United BrokerWheat ; Business limited ; little enquiry for velvet; buyers not prepared to exceed lute values. Prime velvet, 3s 9Ad to 3a lid. W. F. Reynolds and Co., say— Wheat : Slightly firmer ; prices show no alteration; market anything but brisk. Prime milling, 3s 9d. Moritzson and Hopkin say— Wheat: Firm and rising. Tuscans and velvets up to 4s id. Now here there is apparently a serious inconsistency ; but, in reality, it is not so. On the 30th October we aoid a parcel of 5000 sacks of not prime wheat, equal to quotations given, and could have sold 10,000 more sacks of prime quality up to 4s-2d.. We simply persuaded some millers to see the necessity of purchasing at a higher rate, owing to the scarcity and they entrusted us with buying orders, at higher rates than ruling, while the other agents were inactive. Now we refer you to last week’s market report from Dunedin in the Waimea Plains Review. Prime malting, 3s 21 to 3,s 6d. Our report: 3s 6d to 3s 9J.' Messrs \V. E. Reynolds and Co. report: About 3s 3d lor prime. As the market, according to Messrs Reynolds and Co., has not opened yet, why all at once a rise in a week, aiul farther they say : Bat up to now hrewois are not buying, except a line offers cheap. Why then- report the market up. if they cannot effect sales unless eln ap. We can inform you that we have severe 1 ether buyers in and out of Dunedin, independent of brewere. Surely the Dunedin brewers do not rule the market here.

We will now bring to a close this so;; ewhatloug letter, but thought itbesttogo carefully lute the matter of reports aud explain, aud we trust you can fully understand. We think it the duty of eveiy agent to-help the farmer in raising prices, as realiy he conducts tlie farmers’ business in the farmers' absence, aud not the buyers’ or the agents’ own. We take again the liberty of urging the farmers in your district to combine and form an a sociation. The writer, when he was round, expresse d his views on this, subject to everyone, with the exeepiioii of two, which ho had not the pleasure to lind at home. Your district is a grand one. and large quantities of giaiu are grown and more can be grown. Wool i« abo produced in

quantities, and with an association (as “ unity is strength”) you can accomplish much, which, as individuals, you cannot carry through, but united you can accomplish anything, provided you have right and perseverance on your side. There are so many things that could be talked over and managed by a farmers’ Association —the rabbit ami small birds nuisance, which is especially acute in your district. I have seen one or two crops completely destroyed by its. means. There is the question of selection of.’ member for the House of Parliament, schools for the outlying farming districts in your County, roads, bridges, noxious weeds, and railways to be brought nearer your centre, and plenty more. At present it costs 6d per bushel to bring your grain to Dunedin, 2d of which is swallowed up by the Lake Wakatipu s.s. Co., which is too much, to bring grain from Frankton to Queenstown. This means 8d per sack. We can get grain from Lyttleton to Dunedin for 6d per sack. Now, with an association, you can firmly approach this monoply, and ask for a reduction, failing which the combined fanners, who, we think, are all well-to-do, could easily put a small carrying steamer on the Lake, and, when the grain Is gone, cun Id be laid up at mid-winter, and while the tourist traffic is on and she has no grain to carry, she would earn handsomely. The present passenger fare from Kingston, to Queenstown is an imposition. Look at the pressure the Tcviot Fruit-growers’ Association brought to bear upon their member and Government horticultural'lecturers and inspectors. Result—railway from Heriot to Roxburgh'; fanners wake up and combine. This is an age of combinations and unions, every tinker and ta ; lor combines in the towns, and in many cases against the interests of the farmer. If you had an association and a trusted agent in Dunedin, how easy to have the latest rise telegraphed to your secretary, and tn a few hours riding to all the growers you are are in possession ol the news. This would prevent you ben g caught asleep, as you were last year when you parted with your wheat. This would have meant perhaps, a thousand pounds in your pockets, and v ho is more suitable to it than the toiling fanner ? A merchant or bnsiucss man, if he has a loss or a bad speculation in a year, lias plenty of chances of making up and retrieving his losses, A farmer, on the contrary, has only one harvest, and if that fails,, or price is not paying, he has not the means of retrieving such loss during that year. And goodness knows, farmei s had several bad years of late in low prices. Then you have to regulate as an association, what price you will accept locally from your millers for wheat aud oats. We should certainly say that prices based upon Dunedin purchasers should be asked and paid. For argument sake, Dunedin millers pay, say, 3s 9d to 4s for their wheat here, sacks in, less 24 per cent, discount for prompt cash, and they sell their flour at £lO per ton, 'and your miller getting the same price for flour, viz., £lO at his mill door or delivered by bis team, he should certainly pay you Dunedin price, and not deduct carriage to Dunedin. Other country millers we know of do pay Dunedin prices delivered at their mills aud do not deduct railage. In your district especially your millers have not to rail their flour, meal and offals to long distances, but sell tbeir goods in the district. All these and many more important matters appertaining to the welfare of the farmers could be amicably discussed and settled, and any assistance we can give to bring this about, we will gladly render. If your farmers wish, Mr Moritzson will come up again if you call a meeting aud fix the purchase of vour barley, viz., 12,000 sacks.— We are etc., • MOKITZSON AND HOFKIN. Dunedin, I6th March, 1890.