AUSTRALIAN FLOUR FOR WELLINGTON NEEDS

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13176, 3 October 1914, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN FLOUR FOR WELLINGTON NEEDS

' , "bAKEEB AT A LOSS, ' 1 * ' '' INTEItESTiNG CORKESPONDBNCE. ' WELLINGTON, Octobm i The sudden cutting off of all supplies of Austiuliau iloui by the outer of the Commonwealth Govoi uniont has had an offect a deal nioic fai •reaching than tljc public is awftro of- Foi many years now, Austialian iloui has been impoitcd by local bakcis, who havo found that tho hauler pioduct of Austialia blended with Now Zealand floui makes excellent broad, Tho Austialian flour givos a bettci consistency, and is an. admiiablo "stlffoiior" of tlio softoi pioduct of tho southei ii mills, Auothoi point is that tho steady impositions of flour fiom tho Common wealth has noccssaiily icstinted the output of tho Now Zealand lldui nulls to local lcquiioineiits, and tlio e\tia demaud mudo cannot bo satis fied all at once, At Hist it was thought that Now Zealand was not meant to be included in the prohibition, but cable giams sent by the Pinno Ministci and local merchants havo given no indication that we aic to be so favomed, As it tinns out, Austinliajias becu close to a \ciy serious di ought, and tlfc ecie.il uops aio expected to be shoit this sea son, though rain has nt length broken up tho drought. The probability is that the weather, conditions have been more to blamo than tho war-for the.-prohi-bition placed on the export of our from Australia. Gabled Inquiries. Through the secretary of the association (Mr 11. F. Allen), tho master bak- ' ers of Wellington, somo of whom use Australian flour extensively, cudoavourod to have tho restriction removed as far as flour ordered on contract was concerned. Tho merchants through' whom it was ordered could not fulfil their obligations owing to the action of tho Government, and they have.had to inform their clients accordingly. In. order to sec if anything could be done in the direction indicated, Mr Allen cabled on September IS) as follows to Mr Kirton, secretary of tho Master Bakers' Association in Melbourne:— "Will your association assist us by urging Federal Government remove prohibition export flour to New Zealand, at least as far as contracts aro concerned? Millers here unable guarantee supplies. Price quoted £l4 delivered Wellington bakehouses. Reply greatly esteemed.—ll. F. Allen, Secretary Wellington Master Bakers'."* The following reply was promptly received:—"Cable immediately quantity of flour involved contracts also general total.—Kirton." ( To,that .message Mr Allen replied:— "Thanks. Existing Wellington contracts 1715 tons. General total imports 500 tons month Dominion," (Wellington 1 /) Siuco this cable was dispatched on September 17, Mr Allen has received no further advice. ~,'; ~..■ Reciprocity?. In the course of a covering letter sent to Mr Kirton, Mr 11. F. Allen wrote:— "Though at tho prescut time it is not quite clear that wc shall have to face a shortage of flour in this country, still there is an indication of it. Our fanners have found it more profitable to practically confine their attentions. to raisiug sheep and cattle owing to tlifi good prices which they can obtain. Thou our dairy-iarnicrs arc doing so well that the best bread is made of a mixture of Australinn and New Zealand (lours. On this accouut, New Zealand has been a good customer to Australia, in the matter of buying flour. Contracts have been entered into, and buying of Australian flour has been arranged for months in advance. Until tlio Avar broke out all went well, but owning to the Australian Federal Govonmieut prohibiting tho export of flour even to this Dominion, many of tho master bakers have been placed in an awkward predicament." They had bought Australian flour iu advance, and suddenly found these supplies cut off. Following the announcement of that, information, the prices of New Zealand 'flour advanced another £l, aud at the present time is quoted at £l3 per ton ■ f.o.b. in the South Island There lias been a good, deal of talk, re reciprocity bctwccij Australia and New Zealand, aud if'such cannot be depended upoii in connection .with so important a matter as flour, 1. would imagine, that the curtain should be rung down on the first and only act."a , The latter sentence,-has reference-to tho reciprocal arrangement assumed to have been,.mudo with the Commonwealth Government when tho Hon, 1\ M. B. Fisher (accompanied by.Mr W. 1 11. Montgomery, of the Customs Depart- ' ment) visited Melbourne a couple of. 1 years ago. Mr Allen's assumption is 1 that flour would be one of the first con--1 sidcrations iin connection with any such ' agreement, aud if it does npt apply to ; . flour it might be dispensed with altogether.