DUTIES ON WHEAT

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 28 July 1932, Page 6

DUTIES ON WHEAT

'RECENT AUSTRALIAN PURCHASE BUSINESSMEN ’ S VIEW S That a subsidy was preferable to a tariff in fostering wheat production in the Dominion was the view expressed at the meeting of the council of the , Wellington Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday evening, reports the ‘‘Dominion.” The foil lowing report- upon the subject of wheat duties was submitted by I the joint Exporters and Importers Committees: —• ' “The Auckland Chamber of Com- | merce has been taking up with the | Minister of Industries and Commerce the question of importation of 850,000 bushels of wheat from Australia, and i has stressed : ! (1) Their objections to the exclusj ive privileges by way of special remissions of duty accorded to the Wheat - Marketing Board.) I (2) Their objections to the principle i involved in a. varying rate of duty upon a commodity imported info Auckland, into Wellington, and into South Island ports. ,

(3) Their contention that reasonable notice should have been given of the Government’s intention, to permit such a large quantity of wheat to be imported at a .reduced rate of duty. The Auckland Chamber feels that while a sliding scale of duties on wheat and flour has the object of protection of wheatgrowers, the present position tends to favour wheat, speculators, and to a,at to the detriment of supplies of cheaper ibre-ad for the people,, and of cheaper grain for the poultry people and other industries.

(4) Their opinion that the poultry industry could bo made a highly profitable export industry if wheat were available at reasonable rates. “The Auckland chamber also compares the protection afforded this one industry with that afforded other Dominion enterprises. “There are many matters which bear upon this subject, not only in the marginal rates fixed by the Government for Wheat and for flour, such as are governed by the sliding scale of duties, and the purchases that would have been made by the trade of New Zealand wheat under the Government price-fixing measures, hut, also in connection with the bearing upon the reciprocal trade agreement between New Zealand and Australia.

“Since the l wider subject of interchange of trade between Empire countries will come into discussion at tlie Imperial Economic Conference at Ottawa, it ifcj suggested that further consideration of this, matter might be deferred for some few weeks when it will be known what widened opportunities will! be offering for reciprocity in trade matters.”

The chairman, Mr A. D. Kerr, said

for raising wheat, and for no other crop. Mr M. O. O. MciOaul asked if this did not prove that the Canterbury land "'as valued too highly. He pointed out that a .good deal of maize meal was imported from South Africa by pig and poultry farmers. I b was a- strange thing that the Government placed a duty on whole maize from South Africa, white maize meall was allowed in free. If the New Zealand wheatgrowers were to provide pig and fowl feed at a reasonable price it would not be neoessary to import s.o much maize from South Africa.' Mr W. 11. Matheson •said the statement that most of the Canterbury land was lit only for wheat-growing was a little too sweeping. Wheat was a. good rotation crop, but it wa.s not essential m agriciullture. He favoured a subsidy as against a tariff. The report was adopted.