WHEAT VALUES.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18672, 22 April 1926, Page 10

WHEAT VALUES.

INCREASED FLOUR DUTY URGED. YESTERDAY'S CONFERENCE. A conference on ■wheat values was held yesterday afternoon in the r-orris ' of the Automobile Association, between representatives of the Canter- j 1 bury Agricultural and Pastoral Asso- , elation and the Canterbury Chamber of 1 Commerce, "for the purpose of endeavouring to assist the parties interested in . arriving at, a solution of the present , difficulties." ' Mr J. O. Coop, president of the A. and ' T. Association, was in the chair, and members of the General Committee of 1 the Association: present were: Messrs E. Hoy (vice-president), G. Gould, H. S. S. Kyle, M.P., K. J. S. Murchison, J. I). Hall, W. Hayward, D. W. Westenra, and W. H. Nicholson, The Chamber of Commerce was represented by Messrs W. Machin (president), Norton Francis (vice-president), T. F. Gibson (chairman of Produce Committee), G. Fleetwood, W. M. Shand, and P. B, Climie (secretary). • The chairman said that the meeting had been called by the A. and P. Association as the result of a letter ho had received from Mr F. K. Corson, of Messrs Wood Bros., offering to confer with representatives of the Association regarding wheat values. [The letter was published in last Thursday's issue of "The Press," andtho circumstances connected with it also were detailed.] The General Committee of the Association, Mr Coop continued, had decided to ask the Chamber of Commerce and wheatgrowers to attend that afternoon's meeting to see if they could come to some decision regarding the wheat trouble. "We want to all pull together, and do the boat for everybody. If growers ask for 7s a bushel, the millers say they cannot mill the wheat; they'say also that there is a lot of flour « being shipped from Australia to the North Island, and that if we don't look out they will flood the. country with jt. That is the idea they have got into their heads, but I don't know if there is much in what they say. We hope to come to some decision regarding the question." Discussion In Committee. . Mr Kyle asked if they were going $o have the reporters present. ' The chairman said that it rested with ,the meeting. If. it was thought ' that they could discuss the matter rtipre freely without the reporters, they could gp into committee. ~ Mr Gibson said that, personally, he thought that they would get . more done if the matter was taken in committee. "We want to get down.to bed- ' rock' and try and help the industry, and ' perhaps it would be better to go into , committee.'.' Ori the chairman putting the matter to the meeting it was decided to go ;• }nto committee. ' Conference Decisions. ' ', At the close of the conference its de4sisipns were communicated to a reporter by the chairman. ' It was decided that a. deputation comprising Messrs Coop, Gibson, Westenra, and Kyle be asked to go to Wellington and interview the Minister for Agriculture.'(Hon. O. J. Hawken) and the Minister for Industries and Comrnerce (Hon. W. Downie Stewart) and ■urge that the Government should give effect to the fotowing:— "That in order to fully protect our 'local industries, it should be recog- ' nised as a general principle that the • duty upon a manufactured article ' ehould be greater than that on the • equivalent raw material used in its " manufacture, and that as the present " duty on flour (£3 per ton) is only • on a ! par with the duty on wheat, we are of opinion that the duty on flour 'should be ■ increased; xtid.thafrtne • Government should take immediate • ! steps to exercise such, powers as may • be necessary to prevent the dumping 1 of flour, now and at all future tunes." , This resolution embodies clauses 3 Ui'4 of the report of the Chamber of ' Commerce. On thereat question; adopted on February sth I"*, and pubUshed • j£ full in "The Press" of the follow the conference a deputation representing the millers was ■wcebed, S placed before the conference the .millers' views on the matter. .In reply to tv telegram sent by Mr •H? S. 1 Kyle, M.P., the Minister sHted last night, that he coujdnot receive a (imputation on Friday, but would take Jt during the coming week. HUGE BUSINESS DEAL. ! BIG AUSTRALIAN FTCM SOLD. (Bt CAMI-FHBSS aSSOCJaTIOK-COMaWHT.) laustsauas urn K.z. cabm associatioh.) ! SYDNEY, April 21. ! The biggest business deal in the history .bf Australia is on the eve of completion. The firm of Anthony Hor- ( dern and Sons has been sold ta a new company for £5,900,000. The controlling capital mostly has been found in Sydney, but shares are held in other capitals. l . • Sir Mark Sheldon becomes chairman of directors in the new company. ' Sir Samuel Horden is retiring from business in order to devote his time to public matters. APPLE EXPORT. •■ ■, MINISTER AND NELSON GROWERS. (FUSS ASSOCUTUM TWJSaHAM.) "NELSON, April 21. i The following reply has been received by "the Hon. W. W. Snodgrass from the Minister for Agriculture : "I ' hard received your teleijram regarding export of apples,' and I must ' say that I think some better organisation is needed in connexion with the control of export. I have put through two extensions of the guarantee within two weeks, the last only yesterday, and as you know, Cabinet does not meet every day. However, you can rely on my doing nv best. It is very gratifying to'know'that the Nelson crop of Sturmers is exceptional. From all accounts the apple crop has been exceedingly good.' 5 WHEAT. ,t» cuu-rtiJMS tssoaATioji—corraie»T.) L , I*TJSTJUWJJ« AJTD H.Z. CABLX ASSOCIATION.) . I I : *FW*t qubtatioria ««:—May, n«w 165| ■