ACROSS COOK STRAIT

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12306, 28 November 1925, Page 19

ACROSS COOK STRAIT

SHOCKING WEATHER SLEET AND SNOW IN NOVEMBER (Written for the “New Zeeland Time*.”) The rear 1925 in Canterbury will be most remarkable for the extremely variable weather-. One of those smiro changes we are becoming used ta occurred ou Thursday morning A good spell occurs, and then suddenly we are thrust back to something akin to midwinter. On Thursday farmers on the Canterbury plains were not surprised to wake up and -find the lower hill country capped with snow. Tile cold temperature of the night heralded it. Throughout the day sleety rain fell over toe plains, and the general conditions were such as one might expect in June rather than November. It has been the meeting of June aud December from a weather point of view. Bain was needed, but not the cold rain we have experienced. Drying winds left the ground hard and baked, after the plethora of ram it was sub’ jccfed to throughout tho winter and the early spring, and the crops were not making good progress, (some misgiving was felt in connection with the feed supply, and the stock markets quickly reflected this uneasiness. THE PRESENT WHEAT POSITION It is considered likely that at a meeting of farmers at Ashburton on December 3rd an announcement will be made by the Government as to how itintends to deal with the question of prices and tho distribution of the new season’s wheat yield. Indications are that the Government will impose a complete form of control, which will extend to the gazetting of rates for flour and ohal products. When some two years ago, the Government relinquished a control on wheat which it had assumed early in the war period, the intention was expressed to be quit of the wheat busiuess for good and all. Hut events have shaped themselves in such a manner that it looks as if the Government - will be forced to take action. Tor the past two seasons the Government has kept a paternal eye on the wheat question, and has helped to shape arrangements between growers and millers for the marketing of the grain. In May last, growers agreed in conference to rates for this year, the agreement being ratified by the millers and the Government. This was that millers would pay 63 5d a bushel, f.0.b.. s.e., for Tuscan, tis 7d for Pearl, and 6s 9dTor Hunters. A condition was thal growers would do their utmost to sow wheat in quantity. Sinoe then much water has flowed under the bridge. The weather took & hand, preventing large areas from being put into grain, and not only is the normal acreage cut down very considerably, but in most districts the prospects are that the yield an acre will fall very far short of the average. The Dominion in the coming season will have to rely largely on Australian supplies of wheat. The necessity of making these large importations doubtless will force the Government to take a more active part in controlling the wheat business than it appeared to contemplate in May.

DISSATISFACTION OVER PRICES When in May farmers blithely entered into an agreement to grow wheat at certain prices, ihe eventful situation developed, in a way they also had not reckoned upon. Briefly, wheat is quoted in Australia for export at 6s 6d a bushel, f.o.b. Such wheat could be landed in the North Island, less duty, at 7s 6d, a price that would mean that the miller who bought Canterbury wheat could afford to pay 6s lid, f.0.b., Lyttelton. Of course, if duty were imposed on Australian grain, the landed cost in the North island would be about 8s 9d, instead of is 6d, which wouTd further appreciate the value to the miller of South Island-grown grain. It is assumed that the Government will waive the tariff duty, although the farmer with some reason can complain that whenever the tariff wall seemed likely to operate to his advantage it has been levelled. Throughout the whole of ’ts handling of the wheat question, a guiding policy by the Government ras been to keep the price of bread from soaring. Needs niust when the public drives, so that it is unlikely that the Government would abandon its old policy and charge a duty that would, add Is 3d a bushel to the cost of imported wheat. But even without the duty, on present Australian quotations, many farmers will consider that the price agreed upon in May should he increased by 6d a bushel. It is known that wheatgrowers in Timaru and Otago are dissatisfied with the May agreement, and strenuously will resist its enforcement. -ZRCUTTING IN FLOUR The position is complicated by n development in the flour market. Flour was being quoted for export from Australia for December delivery at £ll 15s a ton, f.o.b. This would make the landed cost in the North Island £l6 15s, or the equivalent of about 5s 8d for wheat in the South Island. Millers have had to pay up to 7s 3d a bushel f.0.b., s.i., ports for Canterbury grain—a price above rates agreed upon with growers—and at tho same time to keep the price of flour from advancing beyond £lB a ton. Such rate for flour, based on a price for wheat, below that actually paid, was fixed by arrangement with the Government. Under the circumstances, millers jiistv can claim that they are entitled to some measure of protection by the Government against importations of flour. There 'is an aspect, however, which may weigh with tho Government in its refusal up to now to give protec. tion hy way of imposing m emmprng duty—a duty seemingly justified Because there is a difference in Australia between the export and the domestic prices of flour—and that happens to be wrapped tip in the question of the price of bread. Some time ago, bakers in Wellington reduced tho price of bread, when they took such action, rightly or w-rongly. gaining" an im pression that the Government would help them hy permitting without ban-

dicap the importation of Australian Qoui. Already cheap Australian flour is on the market; indeed, the Public Health Department has had to issue a warning that some ot is of the quality known as “bleached,” such flour, being of inferior quality, being given _ a rich appearance by means of artificial aids. However, if the Goverpment insti* tutes a control scheme for the new wheat harvest, in self-protection it wuiila have u. place an embargo on the importation of Australian flour. It hardly would wait for the new season to start before taking action, so that present importers of flour, . unless covered by a special clause in their contracts, are taking risks. LOWER STOCK VALUES

Uneasiness as to the prospects for feed influenced large numbers of farmers to send stock forward to the Addington yards this week, and there was a large yarding in both the fat and store sections of the sale, and the beefraisers also overdid the yarding of fat cattle. The result was to send prices down for all classes by a greater amount than has been the case at any sale in the past four months. With the approach of December it is usual for the prices of mutton to slacken off, but there was a large number of. sheep sold this week which were a shade nelow the freezing rate or what the freezing rate is expected to be when the works open.

So far there has been no announcement as to when the works will be opened in Canterbury. With a much earlier season a year ago the freezing companies opened for a few days before Christmas, but the results were disappointing. With stock not so forward the chances are that less stock would be forthcoming than was the case in December last. Judging by the entries of wethers at some of the sales of the past couple of weeks there are many graziers who are anxious to be rid of some of their wethers, but this has been due to the effect of the drying winds. No doubt if there is aiiy demand for the works to open from the farmers they will be opened; such is the effect of keen competition. From the point of view of the proprietors the cost is a considerable factor, and as the workers in freezing works also engage in other seasonal occupations, such as shearing, the men are not keen oh going into the freezing business for a few days before. Christmas, and then knocking off for the holidays. On the other hand the demand for a lighter lamb off the mothers is emphasised by the freezing companies as the need of the London trade so they must pay some attention to this phase of the question. MANY PENS OF WETHERS

Practically the Whole of. the entry of store sheep this, week was wethers, the proportion of two-tootbs .being about half, and many of ■ them were rather undaftsiasMi jWjjjjjftJggjd) ■ jrom the shears. Lethargyk'gt#' use: part ’ of'"the small attendance round , the: pens presaged a weakness in the demand, and the Auctioneers had anaiixious morning to quit the lines. forwarded from a distance. Prices were lower than at the previous sale by Is 6d to 2s 6d a head, the greater variation being more noticeable in the early stages of the sale, bkt in spite of the fall, buyers who wanted wethers could have bought better in the fat sheep pens in the afternoon' than the men who purchased out of the Store pens.. • Very forward four and six-toothed sheep were sold at 3&s to 30s 6d, while the two-tooths mostly ranged round 23s to 24s fid, One line of ewes and lambs was sold. This was a draft -of three-quarter-bred ewes in the wool, devoid of teeth, with practically 100 per cent, ot lambs, and they brought 23s 6d all counted.

A few pens,of ewes were sold on account of a North Island vendor, hut they were plain sheep, and it was like sending coals to Newcastle to ship fat sheep to Addington this week. Some of them only brought' a few pence better than £l. A shipment of cattle sold moderately well.