THE BOMBAY WHEAT TRADE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 5196, 17 July 1891, Page 4

THE BOMBAY WHEAT TRADE.

Bombay paper* describe the extraordinary rxport of wheat from that port during the ipast few weeks. The Times of India soy* that " every warehouse near the docks and every available piece of open ground were occupied by towering tiers of bags filled with -rain, awaiting the arrival of ships to take it away to other ports, » here abnormal prices have been paid for it, and where ita arrival is eagerly awaited. In 1874 the total ship menta of wheat from Bombay were 33,071 tons, while m 1886 tbe figures went up to 617,834 tons, this being the largest total shipped up Jto the present year. But never since 1874, the y«ar when the wheat trade practically bogau, btvra the receipts of wheat m Bombay been _o large or nearly so large, as m tha first four mas-hs of the current year. They -cached during that period the enormous total of 198,097 tons, as compared with 97,426 m the corresponding four months of tbe previous year, and 178,«86 m the same poriod of 1886 Steamer* representing a total carrying capacity of betw-en 350,L'00 and 400,000 tons were expected to load m Bombay jn the course of the present month ; and, m spite of this large carrying accommodation, it will be no easy matter to get the bags, or, at lea*-, those that are not under rover, shipped before -he rains. The receipts c intinue to be so great that as fast us the ground is cleared of one consignment it ia occupied by another. The real cause of thia unprecedented traffic is the damage sustained by the Freoch wheat crop which ia likely to be about 25 per cent under the average. Tho .traffic over the different railway systems terminating m Bombuy has becn_igantic during -ho past few months. Aa recently as 1876 -cheat was rotting m the Central P.ovincr-s — crbich is now regarded as tho granary of India — on account of waut of transport ; but owing to the railway extensions carriod out since that time— tho through route to Calcutta being one of the most important the number of growers has increased materially, and it ia cow worth tbeir while to produoe grain extensively. The lines have been overoroird-d with grain, the receipts m Bombay being so vast that the greatest difficulty is experienced m finding warehouse accommodation for the hundreds of tons which are daily brought m from up country. Indeed, the competition for accommodation is so great that the rentals have gone up to more than 100 per cent, beyond the ordinary obarges. Tho price of labour and ihe cost of carting have also m. creased."