TRAVELLING MILLS SUGGESTED

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23587, 14 March 1942, Page 5

TRAVELLING MILLS SUGGESTED

WHEAT STOKED IN COUNTRY DISTRICTS To eliminate the costs of unnecessary two-way transport and to obviate the risk of having all supplies concentrated in one centre where they might be destroyed or rendered unavailable in an emergency, a suggestion for grinding and storing wheat in the country has been made by a Timaru baker. At present it seems probable that wheat will be sent into the towns to the mills for grinding and then supplies of flour will be sent back into the country for emergency- storage. The baker’s suggestion provides for the distribution of wheat among all farmers, whether growers or not. Nonfarmers also would be allowed to buy wheat at the mill price of 4s 9£d a bushel. A quantity of wheat would thus be stored on each farm. Small mills, mounted on lorries, would then be sent round the farms, to grind the wheat on the premises at the rate of about a sack an hour. Although such mills are not available at present in the Dominion, it is understood that they are in use in Aus-. tralia. and that they could be .procured, ~ , , In the meantime, a wholemeal mill is obtainable in South Canterbury, and this could be used to travel round the country to make wholemeal or an extraction flour, such as is used in England at present. In this way reserve supplies of flour would be guaranteed in an emergency. . Even if mobile mills were not available it is claimed, the wheat could be used for food without grinding, provided it was boiled in plenty of water. Reserve wheat stocks in the country would thus be an insurance against a food shortage. It is also maintained that the scheme would relieve an unnecessary strain on the country s transport system.