Manawatu Evening Standard. Circulation. 3,300 Copies Daily. SATURDAY,JUNE 1, 1907. THE PRICE OF FLOUR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8299, 1 June 1907, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. Circulation. 3,300 Copies Daily. SATURDAY,JUNE 1, 1907. THE PRICE OF FLOUR.

Housewives are much concerned over the increase in the price of flour, for that means dear bread, which is a matter of considerable moment to those >vho find their energies well taxed to make both ends meet. Since May 14th flour has advanced from £8 15s to £11 ss, which is a heavy increaso. The opinions as to the cause of the rise are by no means unanimous. A Cliristchurch flourmiller avers that the increased price of wheat is due to a general shortage, especially in Australia. "There has been a great shortage in Canterbury this year," ho said. "I know that many threshing mills have been idle, and some of them have not dealt with half the quantity they had last year." Unfortunately, Australian flour cannot relieve the situation in New Zealand owing to the duty of £1 per ton on shipments from that oountry. A gentleman in Christchurch, who was interviewed as to the cause that led to the original rise on the American market, states that "it is altogether a very extraordinary affair. There is absolutely no article placed on the world's markets that fluctuates in the same exceedingly marvellous manner as wheat. No one can guess what is going to take place, and nobody, apparently, is clever enough to foresee the positions that will arise. Some of the cleverest men in England have been utterly unable to predict rises and falls. Here, for instance, are a number of circulars I received from England recently. They were written about two weeks before the first of the present rises took place, but not one of them gives the slightest hint of the important movements that have been reported all over the world. Some years ago a New Zealand merchant bought largely in Californian wheat for the English market. The English market went to pieces and he was ruined. At the same time, the price of wheat in New Zealand rose from 2s 4d to 5s 3d a bushel. If he had bought in New Zealand instead of in California he would have made a for- ( tune. The weather is generally the j force that is behind the great fluctuations. Take the month of October in Australia, for instance. The weather might be most promising up to the first of the month. Then hot, parching winds may come, the wheat is scorched and shrivelled up, and the crops are ruined. The same kind of thing takes place all over the world. At this' time of the year Russia is | generally a large exporter, but, according to the recent cable message, she is spending millions to purchase wheat for famine-stricken districts, which, in the ordinary course of affairs, would be sending out vast quantities. It is impossible to say liow the price of wheat will go now, but later on, of course, there may be a considerable fall back." Even in a prosperous country like New Zealand dear bread inflicts hardships upon the workers, and it is to be hoped conditions will arise which will bring prices back to the former level.