PRICE OF WHEAT

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 11, 14 July 1928, Page 11

PRICE OF WHEAT

ADVICE TO GEOWERS A STATEMENT DENIED The statement attributed to the Minister o£ Lancia (the Hon. A. D. M'Leoa) some months ago advising wheatgrowers to hold • their wheat in oTder to obtain a higher price for it was referred to in the House of Representatives yesterday. The Minister denied making the statement. The workers, said Mr. M'Keen (Wellington South) had be^i accused of going slow and taking advantage of the farmers^n busy seasons, yet they had the Mrwster of Lands advising the fanners to hold their wheat for a higher price. That was tantamount to asking the farmers to go-slow.; The Hon. A. D. M'Leod: "1 did not say anything of the kind." ■ Mr. M'Keen: "That statement was broadcast from one end of the country to the other by the Press Association." Mr. M'Leod: "There was no Press representative at the meeting." •* "I have never seen the statement contradicted," declared Mr. M'Keen. Mr. M'Leod: "I am afraid it would take a lot of contradicting.'-! Mr. M'Keen said that when the Minister was giving his advice to the wheatgrowers, the farmers were getting 7s a bushel for wheat, and there .were protective duties on flour, and he did not object to* the wheatgrower having protection, so long as the farmer allowed the worker to have some protection I of Ms. wages. Whenever \ the worker j sought protection in connection with his I wages, he was told that it was wages which made the cost of farming so high. ■ . ' ', What happened, said Mr. M'Le'od, was that during the stay of a- train for two1 or three minutes at Ashburton two^ gentlemen representing the -wheat growers waited "upon him and asked that he, as Minister of Industries and Commerce, should take stepß to compel the flour millers to pay 6s per bushel for wheat, or .else compel the millers to sell flour at a parity of 5s 3d per bushel, at which it was stated they were then purchasing wheat. He had replied that he could not recommend the Govern-, inent to do that, as; after' having gone very fully into the matter.it had almost unanimously decided that a sliding scale of duties on wheat to sports should be ; imposed, which would ensure growers round about 6s per.bushel for wheat.; He had also stated'1 that if growers could not so organise as \o ensure that price, he was afraid they could .not look to the Government, for compulsion in the matter.- ' / • v: :