WHEAT MARKETING

Evening Star, Issue 19551, 9 May 1927, Page 4

WHEAT MARKETING

THE POOL CONFERENCE ORGANISATION OF PRODUCERS STABILISING THE INDUSTRY. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. NEW YORK, May 7. A Kansas City message states that the _ delegates, including tho Australians, adopted a resolution last night, that “as soon as possible the wheat producers of the chief exporting countries of the world should look towards the consolidation of their cooperative programme. This must be preceded by thorough organisation of tho-producers of wheat in each country ‘W a permanent basis. Such organisation must control a substantial percentage of the wheat grown in these- countries. When these conditions are. met, then international coordination should follow to give tho grower tho same,, control of marketing hi\ crop as is already possessed by other industries, and should materially assist in putting agriculture in its rightful place among the other industries of the world.”-—A. and N.Z. and ‘Sun’ Cable.

INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION,

WORLD-WIDE COMBINATION.

' : NEW YORK, May 7. The conference has closed its threeday. session, ending for the time being tho_ efforts of representatives of the United States, _ Canada, Russia, and Australia to_ unite wheat-marketing organisations into a co-operative group. While the executive sessions have been secret and there have been no announcements of what forward steps hayo_ been made, observers are of opinion that the conference has marked the beginning of aovorld-wide combination to effect relief to grain growers from certain ills which in the past have affected them; but, although optimistic concerning the good which they believe will come from mutual understandings reached during the conference, the co-operative leaders believe it will bo some time before a world organisation is formed.

The delegates agreed that the nations must work _ together, providing each other with information regarding crop movements and conditions, and agreeing that the selling of export wheat should be stabilised, so that the price of grain might vary little throughout' the ; year. One definite result of the meeting is the co-ordination of nine United States pools into one national group, with domination over separate pools. This is the almost certain outcome. According to delegates, the representatives of the nine pools concerned are returning homo determined to prosecute the union plan. The final session of the conference was devoted to a discussion of facilities for pools in handling grain selling and to a discussion of a possible basis of international co-operation.

The only remaining items of business are the naming of the International Executive Committee and the selection of a meeting place for next conference, Canada being favored.

DELEGATES INTERVIEWED,

A TENTATIVE UNDERSTANDING

NEW YORK, May 7. Mr Wilson, interviewed, said: “The haphazard marketing of wheat has had an upsetting effect on the market. We are trying to _ abolish that. This conference, I believe, will reach a tentative understanding of benefit to the wheat growers of the world.” M. Lohsol, a Soviet delegate, declared’that, although Russia’s exports of wheat were steadily increasing, Russia was not trying to force lower prices. Ho added: “Wo are here as wheat growers to study with you the problems we face in getting more money for , our wheat. This conference will greatly aid us in formulating our export programme.” Mr Eastbrook (representing the International Institute of Agriculture at Rome) declared that education was the keynote of success for a co-opera-tive movement throughout the world. He believed the conference would be a groat help to wheat growers as an educational meeting. Mr Bath expressed appreciation of the way politics had been barred from the conference, and praised the busi-ness-like manner in which all problems and angles of the world’s wheat-pools situation had been delved into at the meeting, Mr J. G. Gardiner (Premier of Saskatchewan) said he did not expect an international organisation, linking all the wheat pools of the world, would be formed for some time, but the conference would be of great benefit in showing farmers just where all wheat growers’ problems, aims, and ideals were identical. In a subsequent interview Mr Eastbrook declared that, due to ignorance, the farmers of the Old World were employing primitive tools and methods of farming, keeping thousands of people busy who, under modern methods, would be unemployed, and making themselves an easy prey to Soviet doctrines. He added: Italy furnishes the most concrete example of what other European countries must face. The limited amount of room allowed to wheat has forced Italy to raise a higher grade wheat with a larger yield per acre.”