WHEAT-GROWING

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15777, 19 December 1916, Page 6

WHEAT-GROWING

the recent conference MINISTER EXPLAINS. (SFSCIAI, TO 'ITSE I'RSSS.") WELLINGTON, December 18. "Evidently Mr Isitt did not understand the nature of the recent conference between the Canterbury wheatgrowers and myself," said tho Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald this evening when his attention was called by a representative of "The Press" to the letter from the member for Christchurch North appearing in the Southern newspapers on Saturday. 'The conference was held in camera, so that the discussion might be quite untrammelled, and it was not expected that anything that was said would be given to the public at the present stage. Though a farmer myself, I hold no brief for the farmers in this matter, but I feel bound to say that in opening their mouths rather widely at the beginning of the ncgotifitions, they were only following the example of other people who have anything to sell. There is no need condemn them on that account, or to assume that they are less patriotic than the rest of the community." Mr Mac Donald was inclined to leave the matter at this in tho meantime, but when it was pointed out to liim that further misunderstanding might be avoided by a brief statement of the position, ho added a few words by way of explanation. "It must be remembered," he said, "that the conference in Christchurch was merely a preliminary proceeding. I wanted to get at what was in the minds of the wheat-growers, and they naturally wanted to get at what was in my mind. We were perfectly fiank with one another —there was no ground for complaint from either side on that score —but the growers, being iuore familiar with their own business than I was, were 'able to state their views ip regard to cost and prices more definitely than I was able to state mine. It remained for me, from information 1 obtained from them and from other sources, to formulate ii proposal that would oe fair to all parties. That is tho work on which 1 have been engaged during the past week with the assistance ot the Government {Statistician and the Board of Trade. "Of course, 1 am hoping that when I make a fair and reasonable proposal to the growers, they will consider it in u fair and reasonable spirit., and with a proper appreciation of the difficulties of the question. It would ho mftch better for everyone concerned, I think, if we fixed a price to continue during the course of the war which would ensure sufficient wheat being grown for our own requirements. This would bo moro satisfactory than constantly tinkering with the duty. I notice, way, that another correspondent finds fault with the Government for not having taken the duty off wheat. Flour suddenly ju;nped up from £12 to £15 a ton. Doubtless .this gentleman knows as well as the rest of us _do that flour wont up oji account of - .:e strike in Australia, and that removal of the duty would not have affected tho price by a pennypiece. But he cannot resist having ft fling at the Government on general principles. Mr Jsitt is incapable of this sort of criticism. "You ask me what are the Government's ultimate intentions. I cannot tell you just yet. but T have no objection to stating what is in my own mind. First of nil I want to make Burn, u possible,- of securing enough loeailyrrrown wheat for our own requirements, and then I want to sec flour and bread being sold at prices compatible with the price, of wheat. The Mother Country having purchased tho Australian crop, we cannot expect to draw our supplies from that source, and we must, therefore, shift for ourselves. If .the farmers give us the wheat, as I behove they will, it will be a comparatively easy inattor to deal wit-h - the millers. Wth the price of wheat fixed, we can determine pretty clowlv what would bo a fair pricc for flour, and if the millers r - p. not prepared to accept this pricc, the Government can relieve, them of their responsibility in tho matter, and undertake the manufacturing business itself." Mr Mac Donald had intended to leaw, for-Christchurch to-morrow evening For the purpose of conferring with tho millers on this point, but there aro so manv matters requiring his attention here' that lie doubts his ability to fret away, and probablv he wil] delegate this task to the members of the Board of Trade. [Correspondence on the subject of the recent >vhrat conference will bo found on page 2.]