Untitled

Pahiatua Herald, Volume V, Issue 581, 10 December 1897, Page 2

Tiif. interest which surrounds the world's wheat supply, and the price of this cereal, has induced tho issue of numerous statistics having refer unee to past experience. Olio of tho latest of these returns published in the official organ of the Labor department indicates a total rise of 81. G per cent, in tho price ol tho lib loaf during tho past 12 months in England. Mr Henry Allnut has published an interesting diagram showing tho fluctuation in the Imperial average price of home grown wheat annually from 1041 to 1880. a period oi 255 years. The highest annual average prico recorded is 12Gs Gd per quarter for theyear 1812, whilst tho lowest is 22s Id per quarter in 1748-44, the difference betwoen them being 101 s sd, per quarter, or 52s Sd per sack. Tho highest average price represents 15s Djd nor bushel, and tho lowest only 2s 9d. Minco tho poriod of 1743-44 (lie lowest average annual prico is that of 22s )Od per quarter in the year 1891, so that' as recently as four years ago the prico of English wheat touched tho lowest level recorded for 150 years. In 1895 the average was 23s Id and last year 20s 2d. Othor very low averages which the eye readily picks out on the chart are 22s Id in 1051, 22s Id in 1087, 23s Id m 1700, 23s 8d in 1782. The highest averages after the maximum of 120 s Gd in 1812 are 119 s Od in 1801, 113 s lOd in 1800, !09s Od in 1813, and and 100 s sil in 1810. Tho most violent fluctuations are also seen to belong to tho period of the Napoleonic wars. Tims the greatest riso was from an average of 09s per qnarti r ill 1799 to 113 s lOd in 1800, tho advance amounting to 44s lOd per quarter on the year. Tho greatest fall was from 119 s Od in 1801 to 09s lOd in 1802, a drop of 49s 8d per quarter in ono year. If, however, we take a two years' interval we notice a decline from 12fls Od in 1812 to 74s 4d in 1814. tho fall amounting to 52s 2d per quarter, Tho long period from 1712 to 1794, embracing over 80 years, witnessed no very violent fluctuations, the oxtremo values being 58s Id in 1757 and 22s Id in 1743-44 a difference of 81s 3d. In 1794 tlio average was 52s 3d, hut in tlio following year it rose to 75s 2d, an advance of 22s 11(1 in one year. For 18 10, tlio year >f tho repeal of tlio (lorn Laws, the average was 5 1s 9d per quarter. In 1847 it rone to 09s sd, only to fall to s(>s Od in 18 18, and by degrees to 38s 7d m The effect of tho Crimean war is (diown by a rapid fine to the level of 71s Od in' 1805, an

average which lias never subsequently boon reached, tlie nearest approach to it being 04s 5d in 1807 and 08s 9d in 1868.

The Mikado of Japan is evidently bent on improving the native strain of hordes, for his agents, who have recently boen all through Europe for the purpose of buying horses, are now travelling in the United States with a view to purchasing 20 more horses for the imperial stables. His Majesty is passionately fond of horses and racing, and owns about 8000 animals, 2000 of which are kept at tlie imperial farm in Niccap, 000 at Simoussa, and the remainder at Motoyauia. Racing, however, is pursued solely in the interests of sport, for no betting rings are allowed on any of the courses, as the emperor is opposed to gambling. Horse racing evidently remains the sport of kings in the land of the chrysanthemum, for only the upper class attend the races, admission to tho course being fixed at 3 dol., a sum which propably represent many week’s wages of the average workman.