WHEAT AND FLOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 17, 20 January 1916, Page 7

WHEAT AND FLOUR.

■ ■ . PREMIER MISREPORTED. (By Telegraph.—.Press .Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. A Press Association telegram from Christehurch, published this morning, stated in effect that the Prime Minister had informed a deputation of grain merchants that the Government did not intend to interfere in any shape or form with the grain trade this year, nor to import wheat. Mr Massey, interviewed this morning, said the statement was incorrect. All the Prime Minister said was to express the hope that it would not be necessary to interfere during the present season with the grain trade, but any action that might be necessary would depend upon the actual quantity disclosed by the threshing machine, returns which, later, would be forwarded to the Government Statistician. Mr Massey said there was no reporter present when the deputation waited on him, and the statement telegraphed, therefore, was unofficial. PRIME MINISTER'S FIGURES QUESTIOMED. (By Telegraph.-Press .Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. "The latest figures available showing the acreage under wheat do not warrant the high prices ruling for wheat and flour," Mr McComhs, M.P., remarked when discussing Mr Massey's statement. "Consumers may fairly ask why the National Government has. in the presence of these high prices, reimposed the duty on wheat and fioorx. There is a telegram from Auckland that Auckland millers are importing wheat from Australia because they cannot get wheat at a reasonable price frcan Southern holders, and a couple of montihs ago we had a deputation to the Prime Minister asking to be allowed to export an extra surplus of two million bushels. At present up to 7/ a bushel is being asVcd for wheat, and the National Government is protecting these exploiters by reimposing the duty on wheat and flour. The latest figures of the acreage under wheat this year are 333,233 acres. Even if wo take the very low estimate of the Prime Minister, that this year' 6 harvest will only average 20 bushels per acre, the total yieKl will exceed 6,666,000 bushels, which, together with two million surplus to exi3t when merchants asked leawj to export, gives a grand total of . S.GfiO.ooo, or 2.660,000 bushels in excess -of our actual food Tequinemcnto fox pree year. This is not an exportable surplus, because something m*_t bo allowed for carryover or working stock, and our seed rconinemente would be about half a million bushels. 1 not : *co the Prime Minister is et ill boasting about what he did to relieve the shortage by importing Canadian wheat. He does not tell us how many ihousa_is of pounds the Government lost an the transaction, all to no purcose, and. 6tiU more important, he fails to static that vessels with the first ship merits from Canada arrived -weeks after wheat from our new harvest was being milled. As 405.R00 bushels imported from Canada was intended to relieve the shortage before our own harvest was available, it is obvious that it utterly failed to -serve its purpose, because the Hespcrtre, with 282.000 bushels for the South Island, and the Homclasv, with 100,000 bcshcls, only arrived at tho end of February, and our own new w-hcat was being milled early in January.

OPDHON'OF GRAIN MERCH3_ffT. REPORTS OF SHORTAGE GREATLYEXAGGERATED. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) TLMARU, this day. A prominent Canterbury grain merchant, who has just made a tour of the wheat-growing districts, has given mc the following summary of his observations made (luring the journey: "1 travelled by car between Christehurch, and Timaru, via Upper Rangitata bridge and Geraldinc, and didn't sec a bad wheat crop—certainly some are light, •but all are very healthy and clean look-1 ing, and I hear from fanners in the | Albury district tWat there are 40-bnshel crops on some of the 4/6 an acre Government land. Except at the back of | Oamaru—in places like the EUesmere district —one hears very little of really bad crops of wheat, and I don't think ,you will find one farmer in twenty in this district who will cry down his own wheat crop, although be will tell you bis neighbours aijs not 60 lucky, but he doesn't mention his neighbour's name, and the peculiar thing is you don't nnd him. A good indication of the prospects is given by the want of Tain. Although paddocks are absolutely bare of feed you hear very few wheat growers lamenting tbe absence of rain. 1 see no reason to alter my opinion that the outturn of wheat per acre will be close to SO per cent per acre on last year's yield, as there are places in this island where the yield is going to be larger and over a-considerablc area, nnd that is lost sight of by many of the prophets."