THE WHEAT GROWER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17881, 29 August 1918, Page 4

THE WHEAT GROWER.

Tna discussion of the wheat position at the meeting of the executive of tho Farmers’ Union yesterday seems to have been based largely on tho complaint that the wheat growers are In the dark regarding the Government’s intentions for tho future. The grievance is by no means imaginary. The farmers are not even sure of the position in regard to the season of 1918-19, for though they have tho Government’s guarantee of a minimum price they are not sure that in the course of a few months the maximum will not also be fixed. The farmer naturally wants to know whether to prepare his land for wheat and what tho return is likely to be. For tho current season, so wo are assured by Mr David Jones, the question of the price was reopened by the Minister and later, evidently after some discussion with the farmers, ho reverted to the former price. This official lack of firmness, coupled with the heavy purchase of wheat from Australia, has made the farmers uneasy about the future, and wo feel hound to say that-, in the absence of definite information regarding the Government’s policy, they have every excuse for their uneasiness. Several members of the executive during the discussion suggested that the Minister has been unable to induce Cabinet to accept his proposals, and Mr Jones evidently feels that tho pressure on tho Minister has been unduly strong. With these suggestions wo need not concern ourselves. The expressions of alarm regarding the importation of wheat from Australia are natural enough, but it seems to us that tho farmers are themselves a good deal to blame. The course followed by the Government is tho logical outcome of the assurances it received from various quarters that there would not he enough wheat in this country to satisfy its needs. The Government’s duty, it must ho admitted, is to ensure that the wheat and flour requirements are met, and where it is satisfied that at the price it is prepared to pay sufficient wheat will not bo forthcoming, it >s bound to take steps to make good the deficiency. Most of the complaints against the Government on the score of its recent action are quite unjustified. It held out strong inducements to farmers to grow wheat and when a shortage threatened it took the proper course of buying in Australia. We aro told now that tho Australian wheat is to ho lauded in New Zealand in large quantities nt 7b 4d a bushel, and sold at 6s 5Jd a bushel, so that the local wheat, with a fixed minimum of 6s 4d, should not ho seriously prejudiced, especially if the quality of the imported grain is as disappointing as some of tho millers have declaredTho Government was in an obvious dilemma. It had either to give the local growers a freo market and leave the consumer to faeo tho possibility of a, shortage, or it. had to import supplies and, indirectly, compete against tho growers. It chose the latter course in tho interests of the whole people, hut it ought now to take tho necessary stops to prevent a recurrence of the difficulty.