K"V Al. i MM11" ITUK. 



l Srptrmtrr. M9.] 



MR. R. J. THO>II> " i: i 



[Continued. 



uperphoi>pht<. the importers ar- < \p. i u n< ing v.-rv 



gr*t dllh. ultv III "blaming till- phosph.iU KM k ill. ;. 

 require Irom North Mii'.i :nnl N.-rtli Aiuorn u. Hut 

 .n the hilo. I anticipate thnt they will get approxi- 

 limtelv the same quantity as they got last year, vv hi. h 

 UK fully up to the average. 



9064. I- u within your knowledge that .-..in.- uianu- 

 inituri-t* ! superphosphate- have alrcudv l>< n >m 

 p. ll.d to abut down their works:' Yea. \V,. know 

 that the manufacturers have been cxperieucing great 

 difficulty. The position is, that the Fertiliser 

 Manufacturers' Association is making contracts for 

 the purphaae of phosphate rock on Ix'hah 

 the whole of the makers in tills country, and they 

 have made contracts for a quantity which will provide 

 thorn with supplies aqal to last year. At the 

 name time the freight difficulty is su.li. that the 

 material is not being delivered as rapidly or as 

 evenly as is desirable. It ia difficult to u-t shij 

 go to particular ports just at the time when th<.\ 

 an- required. But looking at tin- tiling from a broad 

 l->mt of view, we hope it is a hope but we do h]n . 

 that the quantity will be equal to last year. 



UUVi. Hut is not that a vny sanguine view, it it 

 is tin- cast, that some works have already closed down:' 



I think it is mx-e.s.sary to reineiuher that it is not in 

 any way abnormal for works to be closed down in 

 the slimmer. It was always tht> custom in the trade 

 for them to close for a couple of months in the height 

 of the summer for cleaning and re|Kiiring their plant. 

 They were not in the bwit of going on full output 

 at this time of the year. 



9056. But is it not the case that this is the very time 

 of the year when acti\ily is resumed in the manufac- 

 ture of phosphates ? Yes. 



9067. And that the stocks in hand are not abnor- 

 mally high, to put it no stronger than that? No, 

 the stocks in hand are inclined to be low. 



905". And manufacture is stopping in certain cases .- 

 Yes; there are several eases I know, but 1 am in 

 constant communication with the Fertiliser Manufac- 

 turers' Association on this subject, and I do not think 

 the number is very serious ; but they do exist. 



9059. Does not that |>oiiit to a considerable shortage 

 next spring? Not altogether, because we hope and 

 believe that it will be made up. 



9060. Then the memorandum that you .submitted 

 indicates that that will react on the price of basic 



lag? 



9061. Ami will the price of superphosphate not also 

 rUeP The price of superphosphate is likely to rise. 

 The figure I mentioned in my memorandum wa.s 

 7 16s. 



9062. In fixing that figure, had you taken into 

 account the probability of a scarcity;- No. That is 

 a figure which is in the nature of an agreed price 

 fixed by the Fertiliser Manufacturers' Association. 



9063. But if there should be a shortage, will that 

 agreement stand? I think so. 



9064. Will the sale price not rise? Not in the case 

 <>f this material. 



9066. Li t me put it to you : has any kind of security 

 been taken that the price will not rise in the. spring 

 of 192"- No; it waa impossible to do that. In the 

 case of sulphate of ammonia and ba.sic slag, the Hoard 

 :aken steps to prevent the price rising. Thev 

 hare fixed a price for the season by agreement Hut 

 in the rnse of superphosphate, owing to the uncer- 

 tainty of freight and the freight charges, they were 

 unable to do that with the manufacturers. I may 

 iy for your informal 'on. that only yesterday I saw 



-hipping Controller with the repreBBotafU 

 thi Fertiliser Manufacturers' Aswx-iation with a view 

 dining the Controller to assist the ASMK ia 

 tion, in regard to freight from North America. 

 The result of U was. that the Shipping 



Controller wns of opinion that it would h<- 

 t" offer higher freights from North America in order 

 to git phosphate rock (nought here from Florida: and 

 I m frnid the result ,,f t.lint must, inevitably be to 

 riw tlml price of 17 15*. bv 

 and powibly a little i, 



9080. So that yotir ' 7 K.. li^'m ,, really loo low - 



in the ligbl o( what 1 1 .1 iispm*) \ 

 am afr-i.l it U. 



Then in th. shortage .,f super- 



phosphate, you would recognise that that would inter- 

 fere seriously with the production ..( certain . 

 that is in j>av. it voulil increase the cust per quui i- 

 siiiH-i phosphate could not be obtained a; that pi 

 Yes. 



9068. So thiit there is a jtossibilitv . or would vou 

 pr<il. ability, of an increas.Ml pun AUi\e 



i;' i 



!Hi7n. And there is alv. some likelihood of a shv: 

 which would interfere with production? 1 I.. 

 agree to th. .statement that there is likely to be a 

 shortage. it is impossible to loretell that , 



but we have every hope that the total <|Uantity will 

 :.il to last year. \\'e may be disap|>oiiited. I 

 <jnite agnv. 



1X171. I think you said to me that preM-nt .st<>. k- 

 are low. an<l that munuta. t in rather ceasing or 

 slowing down at tin- very )>eriod when it ought to be 

 :ing its activity for the spring production:- 

 but there is n'gooxl deal of phosphate rock on 

 the way to this country. 



9072. So that you will agree there is some (MUSI for 

 anxiety Yes. ipn 



iKir.'i. Then with regard to nitrate of soda, you do 

 not anticipate any shorlagiv- In the case of nitrate 

 of soda, the Ministry of Munitions are selling at the 

 present lime their very considerable stocks of nitrate 



da. 



:>n7t. Are there large sti.cKs in this counm r There 

 are quite substantial stocks in this country, and they 

 are being handed over to the trade at the present 

 moment ; we are anticipating that tin 1 final contract 

 for sale will be made ill the course of a day or two. 

 in addition to which nitrate of soda is being ini|x.ned 

 to some extent from Chili. 



!UI7.">. Now. with regard to foodstuffs. Have \ on 

 got anv view as to the likelihood of a full supply of. 

 say. liiis<H.d cake and cotton cake.- The prospects of a 

 apply of oil cake as a whole are \ ery much better 

 than they were: that is to say. thai il we take the 

 pre-war requirements at about 1.200.000 tons of oil 

 cake, we think that the supply for this season will 

 very nearly reach that figure, say. 1.100.000 tons. 

 Hut that is oil cake as a whole, including compound 

 mixtures. In the case of linseed, the prospects have 

 vcrv much improved of late, and there dors seem to be 

 ;i probability of a fairly good supply. Cotton seed is 

 not bv any means so satisfactory. 



07(i. How does the stock and the visible supply of 

 linseed compare with those of previous years >' 



.d cake? 4 



1HI77. Linseed cake, or of the materials for making 

 linseed cak. \- to the stocks. I should say tli. 



very little linseed cake in this country that is not 

 -oli'l. You could not of course purchase linseed cake 



iv at the present time. 



!KI7S. Is it |MMsibl<< to contract for linseed cake for 

 lot-ward delivery just now '- Undoubtedly linseed cake 

 is still being produced, and produced in larger cpian 

 than at any other lime during the year; but of 

 course the demand is exceptionally keen. 



!in7!. Are sellers offering it for forward delive' 

 il is being offered at the mills for forward delivery. 



' And for present delivery:- Very little for 

 <it delivery. I should say there is not much 



" spot." 



i Hut for future deliverv ': -For future delivery 

 undoubtedly. 



J. Y.,ii an aware that was not possible a month 

 or two ago: -Yes: but the (Misition as regards h 

 has improved enormously during (he past month, and 

 if I may refer to the prices, it is indicated by the 

 fact that the wholesale price has fallen now to about 



6d. 



'.MI- i UJ K\ mill. 



; So that it i- nearly il below the agreed 

 price:- Yes: but the L'L'I IN. lid. is only a price that 

 would applv to considerable ipian; 



9085. Then your memorandum points to a veiy 

 considerable increaw in the exist of farm seeds 

 i.dly for next spring, especially gr;is.s seeds Is 

 that not -.,:- Yi\s. that is so. 



