WHEAT DUTIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 October 1932, Page 11

WHEAT DUTIES

INTER-ISLAND ENVIES [special to “star.”] WELLINGTON, October 27. A denial that there was any variation in his views expressed on the sliding scale of wheat duties at Hamilton, Timaru, and Christchurch, was made by Mr. MacMillan in the House to-night. “It is just a question of altitude,” suggested Mr. Fraser. The Minister: I’m built on such lines that climatic conditions do not affect me.

Mr. Fraser: You are a man of real weight. After outlining his statements in the South Island to the conferences of growers at Timaru and Christchurch, Mr. MacMillan expressed the hope that Mr. Wilkinson (Egmont), would attend the conference to be held at Wellington to endeavour to find a method of reducing costs, between growers and consumers, and state the point of view of the consumers.

Mr. • Wilkinson said he would be very pleased to attend. Mr. MacMillan recalled that he had suggested to the people in the South Island there should be some equalisation of prices between the consumer in the North Island and the Consumer in the South Island. Criticism was prevalent that the South Island obtained the benefit of the sliding scale, while it was never intended that anyone other than the grower, should get the benefit. It was not intended that a group of merchants in either Island, should reap the reward of the sliding scale. The position now was that one set of consumer was getting an advantage over another set. the feeling of the North Island being that the consumer in the South Island, as well as the producer, had the advantage. It was therefore advisable to have a conference to bring about some adjustment, and the idea should appeal both to the consumer in the South Island as well as the North Island, for consumers did not care where the great was grown as long as they got it at a reasonable cost. Mr. Wilkinson: Provided the price is reasonable. The Minister: It will be all the same to the consumers whether they are North or South Island. I think the conference will go a long way towards assisting us in arriving at a better state of affairs.