WHEAT AND FLOUR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3161, 13 August 1917, Page 8

WHEAT AND FLOUR

DANGER OP DUMPING FROM AUSTRALIA' A DIFFICULT PROBLEM The Government will probably be dealing to-day Tv-it li iho point regarding the importation of Australian'flour, and the competition of this flour with the product of our own mills in this country. The problem has not developed in all parts of tho. country yet, but it has serious possibilities. fit the South Island the competition has been to keen, ami tho price of flour from Australia so lowthat millers have been embarrassed, and somo few of them have had to give -up business. The dosing of a few flour mills in one part of New Zealand would not trouble the Government a great deal in theso dnys of bis doings, but there is a big possibility that if there is an average crop in tho Commonwealth this year the owners of the wheat will have to sell at almost any price, and that the dumping. might affect the schemes lor tii'e growing of wheat ill this' country which the Government urged upon the farmers a few months ago. The Government is committed to the purchase of the next harvest in this country, and th'e price that the Government lias agreed to pay, while not an extravagant' one to. the farmer, is still so high that tlfe Australian Hour will be able io come in even aftev paying Ihe duty.

For tho present this may mean no more to the general public than clieape? bread, and it is difficult to see how the Government can : do anything to protect the local grower and miller that will not tend to raise tyie price of the loaf. It goes without saying that the Government will do tliip only with the very greatest reluctance.' If the supply of wheat from Australia, could be depended upon in all seasons, it is certain that the Government would never have made appeals to the New Zealand farmers to grow wheat. But Australian harvests are liable to failure on account of droughts, and as it happened a. failure occurred in the first: year of the war. We were short of wheat in this country in the same year, and it appeared that there was danger of a serious shortage of breadstuffs, which the Government , had to replenish by an expensive deal in Canadian wheat. New Zealand ran a risk at that time, and the circumstances drew public attention to the .necessity of this country being self-sufficient in the matter of. breadstuff's during the war period. It was because of this necessity thai the Government has ever sinjc that; time urged the New Zealand farmers to 'grow wheat, even if that was not the most profitable kind of farming for them to undertake.

At present if certainly is not: convenient for our farmers to grow wheat. owing to the scaroitv of labour. Men are difficult to obt»/n for the sowing of the crop, arid farmer* must be anxious as to whether' (her will bo able to obtain the nocossary labour to save tho crops at maturity. They have agreed to gv'ow as ■much wheat as they can, and in Ihe circumstances the Government will pot find it easy to disregard Ihe bargain made, bv 3 responsible Minister* with farmers.