BRITISH WHEAT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 151, 8 April 1930, Page 5

BRITISH WHEAT.

COMPULSORY USE PROPOSED. THE CHANCELLOR’S SCHEME. (United Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, April 6. Information has reached the master bakers that the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Philip Snowden), in connection with the Budget, is considering a scheme providing for the compulsory use of a stipulated percentage of flour from British wheat in bread. This will be accompanied by financial assistance to the British wheat-growing industry. It is understood that there will be a. compulsory sliding scale ranging from 7£ to 20 per cent., according to the available supply of British wheat, but anything like 2£ per cent, is at present impossible.

It is assumed that the scheme involves the regulation of wheat imports, but, as f.ar as is known, there is no intention to differentiate between foreign and overseas Empire flour. The bakers oppose the scheme as preventing the purchase of that kind of flour for which the public has acquired a taste. The bakers throughout Britain are now using from 20 to 30 per cent, strong Canadian flours blended with varying proportions of British. Australian and Argentine products. They are considering petitioning Mr Snowden urging the use of established brands for blending, under a system enabling proof to. be provided from their books that the rcouisite proportions have been observed. Mr Snowden’s proposals are regarded as being both to Canadian millers and to Empire producers. The Canadian Government, it is reported, is seriously perturbed owing to the unsatisfactory state of the wheat market. THE CANADIAN PRODUCT. MINISTER EXPLAIN’S POSITION. OTTAWA, April 7. The Minister for Trade and Commerce (Mr James Malcolm) has stated that the Canadian wheat farmer had nothing to fear from the proposal of the British Chancellor of the Exchequer to compel British millers to use up to 20 per cent, of English wheat. Canadian wheat, Mr Malcolm said, never comprised more than 50 per cent, of the flour used in»the United Kingdom, and Mr Snowden’s proposal should not prevent the use of a normal amount of Canadian wheat.