FOODSTUFFS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 90, 13 October 1914, Page 2

FOODSTUFFS

PRICES OF WHEAT AND FLOUR DISCUSSION IN “I desire again to refer to the position of the Commission set up to deal with the price of foodstuffs,” said Mr. G. W. Russell in the House last night, “and to tell the Prime Minister that the position has become very acute in the South Island.” A constituent of the Hon. D. Btiddo, he added, had written stating that he had for several years dealt with a particular firm, but on applying for a supply of flour had received a reply regretting that the firm could not supply 'the order, aS its mills had shut down for overhaul and it had no flour in stock. “The palpable or apparent intention,” he added, “is.not to supply.” He'had also another letter from a gentleman in Christchurch . who represented a very considerable milling company that operated, he believed, in the Ashburton district. This correspondent wrote that a large number of bakers and storekeepers relied upon flour from mills which were outside the association, and the mills represented that if they sold at the price fixed by the Commission they would be selling at a Srice less than they had paid for it. ■ig mills would only supply regular customers. . If that was the actual position, said Mr. Russell, the result would be that a large number of people would be unable to obtain any bread at alb The Primo Minister stated in reply that he. had” had & number of , communications on the subject, and it was quite evident that a very serious difficulty had arisen over the attempt to fix the prices •of foodstuffs. Exactly the same difficulty occurred in Australia, and the attempt there had apparently broken down. He noticed that in New South Wales the price of wheat had been fixed at 4s 2d, in Victoria at 4s 9d, and in another State at 4s lOd, and great inconvenience had been caused. In Australia, however, they had sufficient for their own requirements. The difficulty in New Zealand was that it is doubtful if we have sufficient wheat and flour to supply the requirements of the country until our new crop comes in. The Commission had done its best to get a census of the supply of wheat and flour, and had found the task almost impossible.

Mr. Witty : Make it a penal offence to make a false declaration. Mr. Massey said the Commission was sitting at the present, moment, and he expected that its report would be in Wellington the following day, and that it would be able to report to him on any change that had taken place. He did not, he added, want to take a pessimistic view of the matter, but he did expect a serious position to arise in regard to the prices of wheat and flour.