FOWL WHEAT SQUABBLE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12254, 9 April 1935, Page 4

FOWL WHEAT SQUABBLE

SOUTHERN REPLY TO AUCKLAND COMPLAINT FIGURES FURTHER ANALYSED (Press Association, i OHRTSTCHUitCti, April 8. “The reply publMhed ’from Auckland seems to be a typical Auckland merchants’ statement of the position”, said the secretary of the United Wheatgrowers’ Association, rvtien commenting on the views expressed by Auckland merchants in a statement on the'fowl wheat position Ho again said that barley war, remarkably cheap on the allowing of the Auckland merchants-, and that the poultrykcepers of New Zealand were in a very fortunate position. Auckland merchants, he said, had said that the landed cost of Australian wheat was 4s 44J to’4s 7|d where there was no> duty, and then began to compare that cost with the price of New Zealand wheat in Auckland after a merchant had paid all charg es, as well an secured his profit. The correct comparison was between the landed cost in both cases. If grading, insurance, loss of weight, cartage into store, and exchange on cheques were added to the cost of New Zealand wheat, the same charges should be added on to the cost to the merchant of the imported article. The only fresh -light shed by the Auckland explanation, he said, was that in their first quotation of Australian prices those prices were given as -sacks in, whereas in New Zealand sacks were an extra lOd. The Auckland merchants , stated that this was equivalent to 3j a bushel, bu« in fact it did not represent mor*. than 2.1 d per bushel, as. the wheat was bought by the -Auckland merchants in New Zealand on net weights and sold on gross weight. The reply showed clearly that barley was remarkably cheap in Atistra' lia, 2s 6d a bushel, and as they put it the charges for freight were less than 9£d. a bushel. They conveniently left out all mention of the other points specified previously, that bran and pollard were admitted free of duty, and that Tlie poultrymen were further protected in that egg pulp was prohibited from being imported info New Zealand.