THE FLOURMILLERS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 26, 17 September 1914, Page 4

THE FLOURMILLERS.

The Christchurch “Sun” thus frankly discusses the {loiu'iuilloi s:—The floui millers have raised the price of flour to £l3 per ton, which is an increase o, 30 per cent, on the price that obtained before the war. Ostensibly the reason is that, with wheat at ds 9d a bushel, it docs not pay to mill it into flom for less than £l3. But as most of the big millers had bought, long before the war commenced, all the wheat they required to carry them over to the next harvest, the real reason of the rise in flour is that these millers see an opportunity of making some money, and they are reaching out for it with both hands. It is quite likely that some of the smaller millers who lacked' the capital to lay in stocks of wheat cailier in the season, are now making a market for it at current prices. They must buy wheat at the ruling rates, or close down their mills. But where does the public come in? It may sympathise with the small miller, hut it will not shut its eyes to the fact that although he may have a legitimate excuse for charging £l3 a ton for flour the big millers who bought heavily when wheat was 3s Cd stand to make a small fortune out of the present situation. Some of tho millers would have us believe that milling of recent years has been an nnremunerative business. The cost of wheat production in Australia is so low that even with the protection of the import duties on flour it has been difficult to carry on tho 'business of flour milling at a profit. Granting all that, it is impossible to

justify the present grab for profits at a time when tliere arc numerous unemployed in the country and many poor people arc feeling the pinch of poverty, 'the sooner the Cover::merit takes a hand iu the game the better.