IS THERE SHORTAGE OF WHEAT?

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 12, 15 January 1915, Page 3

IS THERE SHORTAGE OF WHEAT?

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — The Government's latest proclamation makes the prico of wheat 5s 9d per bushel. Quite so. At present retailers in Palmorston North are charging 8s per bushel for fowl wheat (which wheat in its present state is unfit for milling-, owing to tho mixture of other seeds).' Therefore, I presume, the Government's price is a wholesale one. With wheat at 5s 9d, will someone tell me what it is reasonable to expect bread to bo sold at? (Pleas© note, price for 41b loaf is 9d cash, whether over the counter or delivered.) Strange as it may appear, sir, I am one of those individuals who do not. believe there is any shortage of wheat in. this country, and I base my opinion upon the following:— According- to statistics, the 1913-14 season produced a yield of 52,074 bushels of wheat in excess of season 1912-13. Secondly, tho threshing season, except in a few isolated cases, is completed by the end of May, when a comparatively accurate estimate can be made of the yield. Had there beon an actual shortage I do not believe our merchants and others interested would have waited until tho outbreak of war before saying bo. A short time ago a proclamation was issued to tho effect that anyone holding stocks of over 10,000 bushels (roughly, 2000 Backs) must dispose of the surplus. To me, this proclamation does not appear of equal value to the paper it is written, on, since twenty grain merchants may hold 50,000 sacks, and there *re considerably over twenty grain merchants in the Dominion. I have been informed that the method adopted by the Government to arrive at its estimate of the quantity of wheat in the country wa-j to send merchants a printed clip asking the amount of grain they possessed. My informant aptly remarked that when it was made a criminal offonce to withhold, or supply false, information, then (and not till then) would such a method bo likely to produce accurate results. I would suggest that the only method of arriving at a result that will satisfy the public at this juncture is to properly examine per medium of the "tester ' all grain in store. To import wheat is, no doubt, an excellent idea, more especially from the merchants' viewpoint, because the imported article cannot be sold under cost — original price paid plus freight charges. Tho New Zealand merchant is thereby enabled to add these freight charges on to his own price for local product, assuming, of course, that there is still some locally-grown wheat in tho Dominion. I think the Government should do one of two things : Either give us reasonable proof that tho grain is not in the country (by actual inspection of all grain stores, etc.), or seize, on behalf of the general public, all tho wheat in tho country; paying; merchants what is considered fair. If it is possible to fix tho price of wheat, which wo aro led to belieVe has been done, why not fix the prico of broad to the consumer ? — I am, etc CONSUMER. Palmerston North, 11th J*n., 1914.

A Master ton visitor to Castlepoint states that a white porpoise has been seen for some time past in the neighbourhood of what is known as "The Rocks." He is of opinion that it is either "Pelorus Jack* or a near relative.