CONTROL OF WHEAT.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 13, 29 December 1925, Page 5

CONTROL OF WHEAT.

CANTERBURY FARMERS’ PROTEST. The protest lodged by the Mid-Can-terbury Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, following the announcement that Cabinet had decided to take control of the wheat market, has been the subject of further correspondence between the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. Nosworthy) and Mr. John Brown, president of the Mid-Canterbury Executive. Mr. Borwn has supplied the following copy of the correspondence, from which references of a purely confidential nature have been deleted, to the press:— “December 23, 1925. “John Brown, Lowcliffe, —Your telegram received. 1 note your view as to action which you must take as chairman. In regard to your personal view of position, I cannot agree that because Cabinet adopted control in 192526 it was logically necessary to agree to control for subsequent years. It must bo remembered, first, that certan commitments had been made in regard to 1925-26. but nothing in relation to future years; and, secondly, that control for 1926-27 was asked for by growers only on the basis of increased prices. In regard to any further discussion of decision to control in 1925-26, 1. must point out that it is essental that arrangements be made at once and certan action already taken. Even if Cabinet were inclined to agree to reverse the decision it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so, and other interests would complain strongly oT uncertainty and instability of the position.—W. Nosworthy.”

“December 24, 1925. “The Hon. Minister of Agriculture. Wellington.—Your telegram of 23rd instant to hand. I note your disagreement with my private opinion. We arc now as we were at the beginning, in the face of Cabinet’s two decisions on control, to call the meeting you suggest in your first letter would be a waste of time and a source of annoyance to farmers, who still consider themselves morally bound by the May agreement. The.ro could be neither freedom of debate nor freedom in voting, therefore the decisions would be unreliable. If the Government really wishes a reliable opinion it knows what to do.—John Brown.”