WHEAT FOOL SUGGESTED

Evening Star, Issue 19520, 30 March 1927, Page 4

WHEAT FOOL SUGGESTED

growers approach premier INCREASED FLOUR DUTY. BUT E NO EMBARGO j [Pan United Press Association.] ■ i TIMAHU, March 29. I A largely-attended, meeting of wheat | growers, representative of South Can- | terbury and North Otago, waited on | the JTune Minister (tho Right. Hon. | J. G. Coates) here to-day with refer- | mice to the wheat question. The meet- | ing was held in the Theatre Royal. | With Dir Coates on the platform were f the Hon. F. J. Rollestou (Attorney- | General), 1 the Hon. K. S. .Williams | (Minister of Public Works), the Hon. | 0. J. Hawken (Minister of Agncul- i ture), Mr E. P. Lee, M.P. (Oamaru), Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P. (Timaru), Mr | J. Bitchener. M.P. (Waitala) and others. The last-named presided. | Various speakers dealt with differ- ! ent aspects of the wheat question. The point was stressed that it was impossible to grow wheat at the present I nrice, which was about 6s, and it was asked that the Government should place axi embargo on Australian flour, m which case the Now Zealand growers would be able to get 6s for their j wheat. A scheme was put forward, by which, if the Australian imports of flour were prohibited, millers should undertake to charge not more than £l7 a ton for flour, give the fanners 6s for their wheat, and guarantee no in- j crease in the present price of bread. Mr Coates made a lengthy reply, in the course of which he said the Govern- . | ■nent recognised wheat growing as an . I essential industry., and that as far as I possible the dominion should be self- j contained. In dealing with tariffs many things had to bo ■ considered. New Zealand had a tariff agreement with , Australia, and six months’ notice was necessary before any increase in tile nrosent duty on flour could be made. He promised that Cabinet would give the whole matter very careful consideration, and that Parliament would be asked to impose an increased duty on imported flour. Ho could not promise an embargo. Mr Coates suggested that growers should consider a wheat pool similar to that operating in Canada.