DUTY ON WHEAT.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18241, 27 November 1924, Page 10

DUTY ON WHEAT.

PARTIAL SUSPENSION OPPOSED. POULTRYKEEPERS AND WHEATGROWERS DIFFER. Several abuses of the f-heat-grcwing question '.vere discussed at yesterday's meeting of the North Canterbury Executive of the Farmers' Union. Much of the discussion centred round a proposal that the duty should be suspended in respect of. the importation of 1,000.000 bushels of in?.'! wheat curing t!ie..J925:28 .season.

The Minister cf Agriculture (Hon. W. Xosv/orthy) wrote acknowledging the Executive's resolution protesting against the action of the Government in removing the duty on fowl wheat from November 00th, 1024. to February fiStli. 10-5. and stated in reply that he had duly noted the protest, and could only say that he considered the Government acted in the'best interests in allowing wheat for poultry purposes to be admitted free of duty seeing that no New Zealand supplies were available. The quantities of wheat to be brought in under permit would be limited to current requirements, and all applications for permits would bo closely watehod by the Wheat Controller, and no pcriuii would be issued for quantities likely to afreet the Nev/ /Iceland wheat-growers' market. I'm-

mediately it is shown that wheat can be readily procured in tin- Dominion itself, the permit would be withdrawn. The letter was received.

The chairman (Mr J. P. Hnll), ;n explaining the report of the- Executive's Agricultural Committee, said that at the October meeting of the Dominion Executive the president reported having supported the request of a deputation from the Poultry Association to the Minister that the duty on fowl wheat .should be suspended till the end of next February. When the attendance at the Executive meeting had thinned out. about 10 p.m.. the poultry people made a request that the duty on a million bushels of fovrl wheat should be taken off during the season J 925-20. Canterbury and Otago representatives opposed this, but they were in a hopeless minority —Messrs Leadlev and MulholLind had to leave, having been summoned as witnesses in the ease against Distributors. Ltd. The Dominion Executive, by .11 votes to 7. agreed to a motion advocating the remission of duty in respect of 1,000,000 bushels of fowl wheat for the North Island during the 1925-26 season. Mr Ilall said thatthis raised the question whether the interests of grain-growers were to be protected,, or whether tliose of the poultry people were to receive first consideration. He felt pretty strongly that it was not a fair thing to, put the interests of the poultry people before those of the wheat-growers. The poultry people had made a point of the fact that, they only asked for remission of duty in respect of onethird of ;tlu' total amount, of fowl wheat consumed iu the Dominion, and of the improbability of this affecting the price of New Zealand fowl wheat. Messrs Cameron and Forrest/ representing the North Otago Executive, had spoken strongly on the matter, and had said that if the motion were passed it would create a serious position in the Farmers' Union in North Otago, the membership of which consisted to a large extent of grain-grow-er s. They would not. be responsible, they said, for what happen if the motion were carried. It seemed to him (Mr Hall) that the proceSure to be adopted should be to give notice for-the January meeting to/have the resolution of the Dominion Executive rescinded. The Dominion president (Mr Poison) had agreed that no representations to the Minister on the subject would be made until the time had elapsed during which notice' to rescind eonld be given. At the January meeting' of ' the Dominion Executive the whole matter could be gone into, and the Canterbury representatives could make up their minds as to the attitude to be taken up. The Agricultural' 1 Committee recommended: "That tho necessary notice of motion be'given to rescind the resolution allowing 1,000,000 bushels of fowl wheat to be admitted duty free during, the 1925-26 season." He desired to know what the 'opinion - of tlie • branches was. One representative had • told him that farmers were not taking much interest.in the matter, and they did not think tho lifting of the - duty jvould affect them. He moved the adoption of the committee's recommendation.

' Mr A." M. Carpenter seconded, and said that the Rangiora branch had agreed unanimously that they could not support the Dominion Executive if it, acted in. a .manner which might have the effect' of reducing the pripe of wheat. The lifting of the duty, as proposed, might lead to the'loss of the North Island, market. It was felt that wheat-growers did not have the representation on the Dominion Executive that they should have.'

Mr E. ,T. Brown (Dunsaadel branch) endorsed Mr-Carpenter's remarks, and said he considered that any. monkeying in the way of removing the duty on wheat in the future was likely to have an unfortunate effect. Seeing that _ they had got away, from control, the least they could expect was full protection for the grower. His branch was most emphatic that the matter should be reconsidered in the interests of wheat-growers. - Mr W; . J. 'Heiie.v (Kaiapoi) said there had been no meeting of his branch, but individual members who had been spoken to were right against any interference of the kind proposed., It would have a detrimental effect on tho disposal-of next season's wheat. It was not thought fair that they should be ruled by the North Island, that .grew-little or no wheat, in 'a ; matter that the .North Island knew nothing about.

Mr C. Mcintosh (Cust) remarked that tlie proposed action was not proposed by the Government, but by the Dominion Executive. A the wheatgrowers in the Dominion could not supply the fowl wheat they should raise no objection to The North Island could not import wheat from Australia-cheaper than from the South Island, and was not likely to neglect the South Island market. In the' event of the anticipated shortage this season, the poultry people would relieve the situation if tfcey could import. While wheat was scaree the poultry people were using bran and pollard, which the farmers required for their own use. If the poultry people could get their wheat from outside, by all means let them get it. The majority of poultry'farmers were returned soldiers, and if farmers could not do Komcthing to help them he did not think much of the farmers. The fact that all poultry people were to bo allowed to import a million bushels duty free did not mean that the millers were going to import. So far as his district wa# concerned, the farmers did not look on the proposal in re(Continoed at foot of next column.)

spect of fowl wheat importations "with any disfavour. Mr E. T. McMillan said the EUesmere branch was opposed to the proposal. Ho regretted to hear Mr Mcintosh express the views he had just uttered; they were quite contrary to those held by Ellesmere farmers. They considered that to allow one million bushels-to be imported duty free would be the thin end of the wedge for the removal of the duty altogether. There was a lot of fear that the Wheat-grow-ing industry would go out in the Dominion in a short space of time. If the protection were lifted it was certain that the end of wheat-growing in the Dominion was in sight. From that point of view it was regrettable that the Dominion' Executive should take up an attitude different, from that of the bulk of farmers. It should be brought home to the Executive that they disfavoured their attitude very much, and looked with great disfavour.oll the proposal to lift the duty. It'was going to ruin the wheat-growing industry to tamper with it as suggested. Mr Carpenter said that the attitude of the Eangiora • branch might be misunderstood. but they could not, and did not, support the Dominion Executive. The question of fowl wheat for returned soldier poultry-keepers was another matter. The duty was placed on wheat to encourage the growing of .wheat, and the .proposal made- by their own organisation would Jiave the opposite effect. They had every sympathy witli returned soldier poultrykeepers, but, thev took strong exception to their, own organisation in Wellington • proposing action that would destroy the wheat-growing industry. Mr E. JVells said the meeting of the Oxford branch was strongly opposed to the Dominion Executive's proposed action, and looked upon it as tlio thin end of the wedge to destroy the industry. Farmers in Canterbury who were growing wheat were returned soldiers. Mr H. G. Parish said that when fowl wheat was dear the poultry-farm-ers should endeavour to buy direct from the grower; instead of paying 7s per bushel, they would be able to get it at os 6d. Mr Heney remarked that when the wheat was . harvested farmers might have onlv fowl wheat to c ell.

The chairman, referring to Mr Mcintosh's remarks, said the price obtained for the million bushels might affect the price of the whole of the Dominion's crop. Mr McMillan: It is bound to affect it. The chairman said it might affect it to a very substantial amount. If they once allowed the tariff alteration proposed they were going to frighten the wheat-grower on the marginal land —the land where the yield was doubtful. If there was a possibility of Is 3d per bushel coming off the man with marginal land was not going to risk it. They had returned soldiers who were trying to grow wheat, and thev had not had much of a spin. The motion was agreed to without dissent.

FH. LABATT, Share and Debenture • Broker (member Christchurch Btoek Exchange), Inglis Buildings, comer High and Csihel streets, Chriatchnrch. Those 178. Telegrams: "Lsbatt, Christchurch." LSIW-3553