THE BARLEY MARKET.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 61, 13 March 1911, Page 5

THE BARLEY MARKET.

TO THE EDITOR

Sir.---Maiiy people, doubtless, would be pleased to read on Saturday that the barley deadlock had ended, and that farmers were selling freely, at, what "must be regarded as a very good, price for prime samples. The struggle between the 'farmers and the brewers, while it lasted, had its inevitable rniurious effect on the trade of the town, and .-money during the past month or two-was distinctly limited in supply. The farmed, have prob-o-bly Icsrnt from their recc.nb experience thal> the brewers, like any other (section of. business' men, are determined to buy in the cheapest market, and if they cannot get what they wat at a fair price in New Zealand they will go .abroad for it, despite all ■threats on the;,payt of growers to vote national prohibition. They realise that if they are compelled ■to go out of business through the shutting-up of. -all the hotels, so will the farmers jose their markets for their barley; and the brewers &ye a long way wealthier, taken as a whole, than the agricultural farmers. .The truth of tne matter is that the Marlbbrough farmers cannot afford to quarrel with the brewers: There.is no crop that they can grow which will give them so large a. return for their outlay; therefore, so long as prices maintain., the level of the last few years, and unless and until national prohibition sweeps all tho breweries and hotels'away, they must, for the sake of their own pockets, continue to be barley-grow-ers.- The smallness of the crop this season no doubt gaye1 the farmers the idea that prices would be higher than heretofore; but unfortunately for them the* quality suffered from the depredations v ."' the caterpillar and other causes, and merchants had porforce to offer, in. behalf of their principals, lower prices for this class cf grain which, the farmers were unwilling to -accept. They: have now,, however, come to realise that the 1911 barley is not worth more than 4s to' 4s 9d per bushel, and at this price merchants are buying. MODERATE.