WHEAT CROPS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 117, 21 May 1925, Page 15

WHEAT CROPS

MILLERS BUYING FREELY

GROWERS WHO INDULGE IN

SPECULATION,

(fiT TBLEQRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

CHBISTOHURCH, 20th May.

Important questions involved in the purchasing of Australian wheat to be conducted by the Government and the attitude of that section of the farmers who have indicated that they intend to hold their stocks of grain for speculative purposes, were discussed at a conference which opened to-day in. Christchurch between nourmillers from various parts of the Dominion and the Wheat Controller (Mr. J. W. Collins). With Mr. Collins were Messrs. L. JV Schmitt (of the Department of Industries and Commerce,' Wellington) and D. Oolquhoun (officer-in-charge of the Department in Christchurch). The meeting was thoroughly representative of the milling industry. Regarding ths importation of Australian wheat, the question of the quantities to go to the North Island and South Island respectively were discussed, together with the matter of prices to be paid therefor. Reports whioh were disclosed by the Wheat Controller showed that New Zealand wheat had been purchased very freely by millers since the conference between the Government and representatives of the milling and wheat growing industries in Wellington on 23rd April, when the millers agreed'to take the whole of the crop from the hands of growers within two months.

In a statementthe Wheat' Controller said that the millers had satisfied him that they were buying wheat freely according to the agreement they had entered into, but in some parts of the Dominion millers were experiencing difficulty in securing supplies, because some growers apparently intended to retain possession of their supplies in the meantime for speculative reasons.

As the result of deliberations on this question, a line of action will be suggested to the Minister of Agriculture for his approval or otherwise in order to obtain the balance of the yield before the end of June, and before Aastralian wheat arrives in the Dominion.