THE PRICE OF FLOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16046, 12 October 1915, Page 5

THE PRICE OF FLOUR.

DROPS ANOTHER £1 PER TON. NOW QUOTED AT £14. FURTHER DECREASE ANTICIPATED. rHE announcement is made in our advertising columns to-day that, the irice of flour has again been reduced. Six weeks ago the ruling price was £17 >er ton. Within a month the price was u-ought down by the Northern Roller Milling Co. to £15, and this morning the lame company announces that the price )f its well-known brand of flour has been •educed to £14. Interviewed yesterday, the manager of the Northern Roller Milling Co. Mr. P. Virtue) said that his company lad reduced the price of flour to £14 ler ton for sacks, with the usual prolortionate advance for small sizes. He vas of the opinion that there is plenty )f milling wheat available in the Doninion to last until the new crop is harvested and on the market. This would >e about February and March next. If ,he weather in the Dominion was favourible, and the crop harvested early and iafelv, he considered the price of flour vould. by February or March, be in the 'icinity of £10 or £11 per ton. Of course .here wpre the usual contingencies, such is weather and how the war, with its tumerous complications, might affect the vorld's markets. In Australia the present ruling price of flour was from £17 to £20 per ton. This was conclusive proof hat every encouragement, instead of disouragem?nt, should be given to the Doninion wheat-growers. This season the Vaikato farmers had grown a fair quanity of excellent quality, and the growing if wheat gave a great deal of employment lirectly and indirectly. Mr. Virtue added hat he considered the public had had 10 occasion to complain, as his comnanr lad at nil times given it th-3 benefit of veil-bought, wheat. This was verified by he fact that others in the trade delined to supply during the war crisis at lis company's prices. He concluded by aying that on all flour manufactured ocal'y there were two labour and cartage landlincrs, also his company's annual conumption of local '■••">] V ->« 4500 tons, and he annual wages bill £13.500. All these vere important factors for the Auckland listrict, particularly at the present critical ime.