SUPPLY OF WHEAT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 236, 9 November 1914, Page 3

SUPPLY OF WHEAT.

POSITION REVIEWED. STATEMENT BY PREMIER. I Press Association. WELLINGTON, November 8. ' The following statement regarding the price of wheat and flofor in New Zealand has been made by the Prime Minister: — " The facts seem to be misunderstood in some quartern. First of all, it is neces-. sary to remind the public that there is no parallel, so far as the supply of wheat and flour is concerned, between New Zealand and Australia. For example, a cable me" sage from Sydney on November 4 stated that in the Legislative Assembly.; the Attorney-General said that reports indicated that New South Wales will have sufficient wheat to carry her through to next year, and provide seed for the following crop, in Australia there is mora than sufficient for the present year, but. owing to the drought which prevailed over most of the Commonwealth until a few weeks ago, it is expected that the present crop will be very much below the average, and Australia is providing for ia consider- / able shortage next year. The real trouble in New Zealand is that; there is undoubtedly a shortage of wheat for the year, that is to say, that the .supply on. hand-will not last until the new crop is available. What the Government has'been' doing to remedy the difficulty is this: When it became obvious that there might . ;■ Le a deficiency, the .Prime Minister telegraphed to Australia an authority; to. purchase 250,000 bushels on behalf, of the New Zealand Government, but just at this time the Australians became alive to this" ! position in which they stood, and the price; of wheat and, consequently,. " flour went tip with a bound. In . consequence, , those who were acting for us in Australia • i were dqly able to purchase 45,000 bushels. [The next step was the appointment of: a ' [Commission in : the same waythat was'done iff: Australia to- toake*'recommend®,- ■ tions with regard to food prices. Their* first recommendation was that wheat in New Zealand v should .be 5/3 per bushel; and flour £l3 per ; ton. Before, this . could be acted upon, however, the Commission met again and reconsidered the position, with the result that their second • recommendation was that wheat should be. 4/9 per - bushel, and flour £ll 15/- per ton. After - being given a few/week's" trial, • these . prices wero found to be unworkable; . and /the Commission again met, ;'bfut . could not Make a unanimous recomv mendatiori as to the prices of wheat' axid flour. The opinions of the.several ; members of the Commission were for-', warded to the Government, and the , GovernitieM went back to the, first re- .. CQninVendation of the Commission) mak- v irig wheat- -5/3 a bushel and flour a a ton. These are the prices at which they stand to-day at the three distributing centres, viz., Timaru, . and Lyttelton. 1 <r lt should also be'stated here that the Prime Minister, during the early : days of -the war, seeing that there - would be a difficulty in regard to the supply of foodstufts, .and being that New Zealand should supply its requirements, appealed to the fawners throughout the Dominion who had land suitable for growing cereals, especially wheat, to grow as much as they- possibly could. The,..result ; in the wheat- , growing districts was very' and. a considerable area was sown in wheat in addition to what was originally intended ,by farmers. This, Of course, is very satisfactory from the point of view of supplies for the coming year. Unfortunately, the season ap to fee present has not been favourable, owing to insufficient rainfall, and, , in consequence, the crops will probably be, below the average per acre, v.y. 1 IJaviiig ascertained by careful enquiry by the Agricultural and Commerce Departments that there was not a sufficient supply for the present year, the Priiiie 'Minister.; communicated by telegraph with the Governments of Australia, Canada, ad India, as to the possibility of obtaining shipments of wheat or flour from those countries. Ths result up to the present has been the placing of .an order in Canada for 150,000 I bushels of wheat. The Indian Government • has also intimated its willingness to supply 250,000 bushels, if required. The Australian Government, however, being afraid of a shortage in its own country, lias not, up to the present, intimated ; its willingness/to siipply what lias been asked /for, but it has/ taken,',- off the restrictions so "far -as xjoitracts for the supply of wheat and flour made before the declaration of war was concerned. This is a very important concession," and considerable quantities of both articles are, in consequence, being forwarded by the Commonwealth to this country. .The Government has also removed the duty on importations of wheat and flour from October 21 until the new crop in the Dominion is available. "The above is a summary of the position up to the present, and it will be seen that the Government lias sone everything possible to meet the emergency which has arisen, and it is an unquestionable truth that where the country is depending for part of its requirements on outside sources, the price of.such requirements must depend to a very great extent upon the price at which they are imported."