Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29th., 1925. WHEAT INDUSTRY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 April 1925, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29th., 1925. WHEAT INDUSTRY.

The conferences held last week between the Minister of Agriculture (Hon., AV. Nosworthy),. the wheat-growers and the .millers’’ representatives, had definite results, as the farmers are to receive an extra fivepence per bushel, and the price of flour has been reduced by £1 a ton. A cheaper loaf must necessarily follow these readjustments, to take effect from May 1, and it is to be hoped that the reduced charge for bread 'will be adequate,. and not such as to leave the bakers with ...more profit than they are entitled to. The Minister rightly declined the wheat-growers’ request to restore the embargo on flour, and indeed the less the Government interferes the better for the wheat-growing industry. * It is ' quite time that some definite policy was laid down for the Dominion regarding its wheat supplies. There should be few to quarrel with the ideal that New Zealand .should grow all the wheat necessary for its requirements, but this, apparently, can-

not be achieved, unless the growers are given prices beyond reason, and also, full safeguards against outside ...competition tending to lower Government interference «has been .tried for several years and has been found wanting, for’despite 'increased .prices for 3 heat,. annually, .the farmers deand. more/ Xn4 k; r,efrain- from attempting. to, grojy ’enough’ wheat for home consumption; Not so very long ago, thb Dominion had wheat to export; but, this year,'the. shortage in supply for the country’s own use is about three and a-half million bushels.' It. is 'but fail’ to acknowledge that pre-war prices of wheat, flour, etc.', are impracticable, as .the. cost of labour, land and’,.requisites, have since considerably advanced, None should begrudge wheat/growers a /fair return' for their capital investments find services, but the feeling is. strong throughout the Dominion, that the Wheat growers are .taking advantage of the general desire to help them. Moreover, they have had a favourable Ministry, which ;. has not discouraged them in their soiriewhat greedy attitude. They have got into the habit of crying for more, and each year has witnessed an agitation to force the hands of the authorities. Statements are made' and statistics prepared alleging that the Dominion’s w r heat growers should feel very sorry . for themselves, aiid this' artificial pessimism has wrought great harm. The time has come for the, wheat growers to call a halt, so' far. as the demand for. increased prices are concerned, and to discuss more if the prevailing methods cannot be reformed, to give the farmers the, extra profit tliey seek, without unduly harassing the great .bulk of the Dominion’s residents. If this is found to be really impossible, importations of Wheat are inevitable. Bolstering up an industry few at the expense of the many is bad ethics i as well as bad economics, and of course; this applies* to other Dominion industries, be-, sidles; wheat-grbwing. Growerk wtful'cl be wise tb note the increasing liational indignation regarding their demands. Instead of spending so much time in self-sympathy and mixtures of ultimatums and appeals, wheat growers should either get on with their particular duty to the community, or get out of it. In either case, the nation would know where it stood regarding its ’wheat supplies, and could make arrangements accordingly.