WHEAT QUESTION

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16043, 27 October 1917, Page 9

WHEAT QUESTION

DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE

CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN

CHPJSTCHTTRCH,

(special to "the press.") WELLINGTON, October 26. Several questions relating to tho wheat supply were asked of the Ministor of Agriculture in tho House of Re-, preservatives this afternoon. Did the Minister, Mr Lee asked, intend to claim any powors before the sfession ended to compel the sowing of wheat in the wheat lands of the 3>ominion' w> to, say, 250,000 acres? It would be too late for tho 1918-19 season to do this next session, as preparations for putting tho wheat in had to bo begun in July, and growers wished to | know if any prices wero going to be fixed, 60 that they would know exactly wheio they were!- 1 Tho Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, in reply, stated that negotiations wore being made for the holding of a conference in Christchurch very shortly, dealing with the 1917-18 wheat crop. He had drafted a memorandum, which he was going to submit to Cabinet, outlining proposals for a guaranteed price for tho 1918-19 crop. He had gone into the question as to whether it was advisable for the Government to endeavour to compel certain owners of land to put, in wheat. Mr Anstoy asked if the Minister suggested that farmers should be made to put in certain areas of wheat. Thero were a number of gardening plots in the cities. Would the Government compel the owners of these to grow which in sotne Cases wore being retailod at prohihitive prices in the cities ? The course he suggested would be much more useful than cornpolling the farmers to grow wheat. Mr Mac Donald said the Government had never had under consideration the proposal to compel farmers to grow wneat in any shape or form, because tho Government believed that if farmers secured a rrnsonahle price, and useful it would be better than cottipiilsiori, and he had no doubt the Government would look into the tnatter. He would not ask Cabinet to compel ntitono to grow certain things. People with. three or four aero plots frere advised to grow vegetables, arid wore eriveh the best a«sistanco and advioo bv Government officers. Mr W. Nosworthv asked whether at the confinwice shortly to be held, the question of altering the conditions of pavmeht for wheat would i)e considered. The farhiei-s wished to be paid for thoir wheat on trucks, instead of f.o.b. The farmers had kept to thoir bargain, but the middlemen had not done so. iVir Mac Donald said tbnt tho crl'-aiil merchants and millers had kept faith with the tioverinrient. Mr Nosworthy: What about the mixing of bran and pollard P Mr Mac Donald said that there wero exceptions to every rule). If. the farmers desired to bo paid on trucks, in-4 stead of f.0.b., the amount would have to bo reduced by the Cost of putting tho. wheat oli tlici seaboard, Mr Nosworthy said that farmers were not satisfied with the f.o.b. deal at all. 1 hey wished to bo paid for tho wheat oh trucks, arid the Government could make any deal it chose to inako with merchants and Millets. Mr E. Newman asked whether the on-truek pfifce would be tllo satiie as tho f.o.b. price in the North Island. He contended that payirient should be fdr wheat on thicks, bbcause wheat was iievef chipped from the North Island. Mr Mac Donald said lie was quite willing that payment should be on trucks, but the Jii-icn would be less thstn the f.o.b. price by the cost of carriage to put the'wheat'on ship board. Mr Ell said that while some mills had beeh closed down in Christchurch, tho millers had to stand by while flour was brought into Christchurch milled, from Australian wheat; Ho asked that the Minister Should see that in futufe a more equitable distribution Of imported .wheat was made. Mr Mac Donald said that some millers had neglected to buy stocks of grain dfc the beginning of the season, hoping to lie able to buy more cheaply later on. Those millers who knew their business better had bought up supplies for the scjisoii. „ fttr Ell: What about small millers who can't dp that? Mr ilorhsby: Virtue "gobbled" the lot.

Aft MafcDoriald: "It is useless for the member for Wairaraoa to mako a statement about something of which ho knows nothing -whatever. It is like liis statement that he -was going to buy all the butter at a shilling a pound:" Tile Minister went on to say that it was hoped that a shipment of wheat would corte from Australia l»v a steamer leaving in a few days. The wheat was distributed according to the wishes of the FloUrmillors' Association without interference by the Government. It was hoped to get two steamers, but one was required to bring phosphates to NeW Zealand, which were just as important ns wheat. There was no reason for any alarm about the situation. The Hoil. R. Heft toil Rhodes said that one penny per bushel more was al-< lowed for Hunters and Poarl than for other sorts of wheat. He suggested that the other sorts should be classified, becauso there were other sorts of finite as good milling- properties as Hunters and Pearl. Mr Mac Donald said that the prices were paid in accordance with the recommendations of the oonference of growers. The question of making further classification was not then considered.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION* TELEOBAM.) DUNEDIN. October 26. The Ihinedin millers have been advised that another cargo of wheat is coining to New Zealand from Austra r lia. As there appoars a possibility of the oargo going to the North Island, the tenvfl millers sent a telegram to Mr Massey, pointing out that all the local millers were closed down owing to lack of supplies, and asking that the cargo be sent iiore.