EMBARGO ON FLOUR

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 171, 7 April 1923, Page 8

EMBARGO ON FLOUR

LABOUR MEMBERS’ PROTEST. by Telegraph.—Press association. Christchurch, April 6. Messrs. Howard, Sullivan, Armstrong, and McCombs, M.P.’s, sent the following telegram to the Prime Minister to-day:—“We .wish te protest against the Government’s action in continuing the embargo on the importation of flour until February, 1924, because under cover of that embargo the millers’ combine are enabled to exploit consumers to the extent of over £3 per ton of flour or IJd. per loaf. We maintain that a duty of £2 10s. a ton on flour and the anti-dump-ing law decided on by Parliament afford more than ample protection for New Zealand industry. “The price of wheat in Australia ia the same as the pricu in New Zealand, namely, ss. 3d. to ss. sd. per bushel; and flour; manufactured from wheat which cost ss. 3d. to ss. 5d., is being delivered in Melbourne and suburbs at £ll ss. a ton, whereas under cover of the embargo, which your Government has made by Order-in-Council, the New Zealand millers are charging £l5 10s. a. ton for flour, less discount. “If the New Zealand millers were content with a reasonable p'ofit, competition with Australia would be absolutely impossible. We protest against the Government’s going beyond the more than ample protection, wl ich was fixed by Statute law at ihe request of the millers themselves. The farmers are not benefiting by such aition, because they are only being paid the same price for their wheat as the Australian farmers. The difference in the price of flour goes wholly to the millers, and it amounts to an impost on the people of New Zealand of over £400,000 per annum. “We protest against your Government’s unfair use of the powers of the State to enable the owners of oo grain nulls in New Zealand to exploit the rest of the public.’