Bimetallism and Agriculture.

Otago Witness, Issue 2232, 10 December 1896, Page 14

Bimetallism and Agriculture.

TO THE EDITOR. Sin, — The enclosed was sent me by a late mail. Budapest, it may be explained, is in Hungary, and the congress seeni* to have been large and influential. I send it to you as an item that would have great interest for your country farming readers, who are beginning to interest themselves in this important question. — I am, &c, Dunedin, Decembar 8. Bimetallism Budapest, September 20, 1896. The undersigned members of the International Agricultural Congress at Budapest desire to put on record the following facts : — 1. That daring the three days' debate not one speaker has denied that the depression in agriculture results from the phenomenally low prices of all the products of agriculture. 2. That the connection between the currency and agrarian issues has been almost unanimously affirmed by the representatives of agriculture at this congress. 3. That the great majority of the speakers, independently of their currency views, confirm the opinion of the leading agricultural authorities that there is no over-production in cereals, and therefore the fall of prices cannot be refrrr&d to over-production. 4. That every gold monometaliist speaker has admitted that bimetallism would raise the price of agricultural produce. 5. That no gold monometalHst has used the argument which used to prejudice the position of the bimetialHsts— namely, that the restoration of silver to legal tender is a device of indebted landowners, who wish to pay their creditors in a depreciated currency. - The nndersigned are convinced that the existing crisis in • agriculture can be arrested by -an international settlement of tha currency questiou, and they therefore are of opinion that it is the first duty of the various Governments to co-operate without delay, so as to secure a setfkmrot of the " currency and exchange trouble. (Signed) Alphonse Aixakd, Director Central Agricultural Chamber. Belgium Ahendt, Member Prussian Diet Aschendohf, Secretary German Bimetallic League BOT3TMY, Odosss, Russia Bauduin, President Society of Agriculture, Holland William Field, Member of Parliament Moreton F.BEWEN, Ireland, Vice-president Bimetallic League, Great Britain Granville' Smith, London Count Hoensbhoch. Member of Diet Chevalier Hohenblum, Delegate Austrian Chamber of Agriculture Yon Kardorff, Member of Reichstag Count Karolti, President Hungarian Society of Agriculture Count Kolowrat, Austria Paul Meyer, Member of Reichstag Ploetz yon Dollingen, Member of Reichstag F. RaedijE, Deputy Formers' Associations, Denmark Leon Raffalovich, President Bank of Commerce. St. Petersburg Roesike, Vice-president Bund der Landwirtb, Germany Henky Segnier, Editor French Jousaal of Agriculture J. Shack Sommer, England Sydow Dobberphul, Berlin Count Schwerin, Member of Reichstag Count Szechenyi, Hungary. DUNEDIN MARKETS. • WHOLESALE PRODUCE REPORTS. Mr J. Fleming, Princes street south, reports under date the Bth inst :—

New kidney potatoes, lid per lb. Derwent potatoes, j£6 per ton ; scarce. FARM AND DAIRY PRODUCE. Messrs Mercer Bros, report paying for produce during the week ending the Bth mst. as follows :—: — Bacon (roll), 6d p. lb I Fresh butter, 9d p. lb Hams, 7d p. lb Salt butter, 6d p. lb Fresh eggs, 8d doz I Fresh butter, good ordinary (in lib and Jib prints), 5d to 7d p. lb. THE MEAT TRADE. Napier, December 3. — The Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company cabled to Nelson Bros, to-day :— " The f rozsn meat market is still flooded with cheap meat, and there is a further fall in North Island mutton. To-day's quotations are : Best Canterbury, 3Jd per lb ; Dunedin, 3Jd ; Napier and-North Island, 2Jd." - GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKET. ' Messrs Donald Reid and Co. report that prices ruled as under at their auction sale on Monday : — Oats. — We submitted a small catalogue, which proved quite sufficient for the requirements of those present. We quote : Prime milling, 2s Id to 2-j 2Jd j good to best feed, 2s to 2s Id ; medium, Is 10d to is lid ser bu.-hol (sacks extrtA

I Wheat.— No change to report. Prime milling samples are in request at late quotations. We submitted broken fowl wheat to-day, which realised 4s per bushel (sacks in). Barley.— Several feed Hues offered, which' sold at 2s 2d to 2s 3d per bushel (sacks extra)". Potatoes.— None offered. The market i« bare at present, and any good Derwents offering to-day would secure the top price of the season. Chaff.— There is little prime oaten Bbeaf chaff offering, and for such there is fair inquiry. Meiium quality is in over-supply. We quote: Prime oaten shedf, £2 12a 6d to £2 17s 6d; medium, £2 to £2 7s 6d per ton (bags extra). Tufi Mutual Agency Company of New Zealand (Limited) report that prices ruled as follows at the grain aud produce sale held on Monday : — Oats. — Our sale was better attended" to-day, and bidding was more spirited. We sold all offered at Is lljd to 2s lidv Wheat. — None offered. Demand haa eised,off a little, but prices are without quotable change. Bailey.— We sold a small lot of feeding quality at 2s SJd. Chaff.— Market is hare of prime heavy quality. *We sold medium at £2 7s 6d to £2 10s ; prime at up to £2 17s 6d.

ivheat per bushel. Be.it milling 3/4—4/9 Medium do 4/o—4/3 Fowls' 3/s»-4/0 Hilling oats 2/o—2/3 reed oats 1/10-1/11 £alt barley 3/3-3/6 •"eed barley 2/o—2/3 ]ape barley ... 3/0 Haize 3/3—3/6 per ton. Hour, in 200's ... 230/0 Hour, in 50's ... 240/0 'ollard 90/0 3ran 70/0 3arleyduafc ... 70/0 per ton. Oaten hay ... £5/0 Oatmeal, in 25's 240/0 Oaten chaff 45/0— 52/r> Ryegrass hay ... 55/0 Straw 25/0 Pearl barley ... 240/0 per cwt. Onions ... ... 12/0 per lb. Rolled bacon ... 0/.">J Side bacon ... 0/(5 Smoked hams ... 0/7 Cheese ... 0/4-0/ ij Good salt butter, 6Jd to 7d per' lb, according to quality.