PRICE OF WHEAT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 75, 30 March 1939, Page 10

PRICE OF WHEAT

POULTRY PRODUCERS

COMPLAIN

The conference of the New Zealand Poultry Producers' Federation today adopted the following remit from the Wairarapa branch:—"That the Government be requested to hand back to the industry the profits they are making on Australian feed wheat and barley and Java maize, of which they are the sole importers, instead of passing such profits on to the Consolidated Fund."

The president of the federation (the Rev. W. F. Stent) said there was a very strong suspicion that someone was making money by hoarding grain in this country. That should be cleared up one way or the other.

Mr. A. E. Knowles (Auckland), chairman of the Poultry Board, said he had been informed by a merchant that wheat in Australia today could be bought at 3s 4d a bushel, and the cost of bringing it to New Zealand was about Is 3d a bushel. A comparison of the landed cost here with what poultry producers had to pay would show what profit the Government was making. When the price was fixed at 6s 4d in the slings the price of Australian wheat was stated to be 5s 4d. When the price in Australia dropped considerably no offer was made to return some of the profits to the poultry industry.

It had been admitted that a profit had been made and that the money had been paid into the Customs Department. Again a tax had been placed on the poultry producers.

Mr. Knowles said that the secretary of the Wheat Committee had told him there, was no chance of getting back any of the profit made.

Mr. J. W. McGlinchy (Christchurch) said there was no squeal from poultry producers when the Australian price for wheat was higher than the price charged in New Zealand. There should be some give and take. It should also be remembered that the Government could easily lift the embargo on Japanese pulp and on Canadian eggs, which could be landed in New Zealand at Is 3d a dozen when the local price was 3s a dozen.