The Press Wednesday, December 23, 1931. Wheat Prices.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20427, 23 December 1931, Page 10

The Press Wednesday, December 23, 1931. Wheat Prices.

The only hopeful thing to be said about the new season's wheat prices, is that they may be a little better in the end than seems likely now. If bran and pollard go up the millers will pay into the Equalisation Fund the difference between the prices received by them and the assumed price of £4 10s (f.o.b. Lyttelton, Timaru, and Oamam) on which the agreement is baaed. • It is possible, though hardly likely, that this will bring the farmer a further penny a bushel, and it may he expected also that most of the penny paid into the Equalisation Fund under the general levy will be retained. But it is not easy to think of any v other consolations. The average yield per acre is almost certain to be 30 per cent, lower than last season's, and with prices 20 per cent, lower the grower of wheat will find himself almost as badly off as the average producer'of wool and mutton. This would be depressing enough in itself if it began and ended but it does not. The wheat grower will feel not only that he should have had more but that he could and would have had more if the Government had not failed him. He was promised 4s 6d and he finds himself with 4s 4d, for no reason he can think of but the Government's neglect to seize the opportunity to protect him to the full limit of its powers; for the new House is definitely more favourable than the old esfcept for the lamentable loss of Mr David Jones. It is not a very good start for the Coalition, and it is to be hoped that the Prime Minister will consider, what the consequences must be in Canterbury.