THE WHEAT DUTIES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19975, 9 July 1930, Page 16

THE WHEAT DUTIES.

THE NORTH ISLAND AGITATION. In the July issue of the "Wheat grower," the chairman of the Wheatgrowers' Association (Mr W. W. Mulholland) makes the following comments on the agitation being fostered in the North Island in regard to the wheat duties: — Tho wheat duties are to be the subject of a fresh attack —not directly this time, but under the guise, of removing the duties off "stock foods." Tho case for protecting wheat-growing, so long as thiß country's tariff policy io a profitable one, is so unanswerable that it is recognised as useless to attack it, and so, in tho campaign for the removal of the duties off "stock foods," wheat is rarely mentioned. That wlieat "for feed purposes" is definitely included in the term is quite evident, however, and has been specifically included in one or two instances where the claim has been made for free imports of wheat for feed purposes without interfering with the duty on wheat for milling. Our members will recognise .that the effect of this will he little*'*- 1 'different from a complete removal of the duties. In the first place, the mills only grist about 6,000,000 bushels per annum, while our production is usually two or three million bushels in excess of that, and everyone will recognise how impossible it would be to maintain two prices, with a difference of, say, Is or Is 6d per bushel, particularly at the mills. With such a considerable difference in price as is contemplated, the less scrupulous miller would have an unfair advantage over his more honest rivals, and the inducement to make use of his opportunity would be great —too great, I am afraid. This, again would tend to level prices. To take the dnty off any of the wheat means to take the duty off all the Wheat,, and eventually flour as well, consequently any such move must be resisted to the utmost. It will be the most difficult situation that we have faced since the sliding scale became law, because the proposal is so insidious that its real meaning is not apparent on the surface, especially to those who do not want to see. It will be our job to leave thein no excuse for ignorance; but I would ask my readers to remember that facts are not nearly so potent as votes, and to do all in their power to solidify and strengthen our organisation. lor tunately, we can rely on the energetic support of many other interests .in the South Island.