WHEAT-GROWING

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3222, 9 January 1917, Page 5

WHEAT-GROWING

The coaferenoe which was held at Chris tchurch recently decided that the best way to induce farmers to grow wheat was for the Government to fix a payable price at which il would purchase tne whole output. While tliis jmay be regarded as a large order, and one that it may not he easy to give effect to, it certainly should be a- effective as,any such artificial method can /be made. But the Government may arrange to take wheat at a price that is payable to-day that may not induce farmers to grow it. Ii will have to go further than offering a fixed price. Farmers may find that the trouble of growing wheat Is so much greater than carrying on other classes of farming that they will not bother about it. Many wiil grow wheat as much from patriotic reasons as for profit; but others again will consider the difficulties attending the business and will continue to farm in their usual way. The price recommended by the committee to the Minister is said to be lis 3d per bushel. The price should be a very payable one, but it may be that in normal seasons Australian wheat can be landed at a lower, price. Since the sudden rise in the price of flour a good deal of discussion has taken place throughout the Dominion. The The millers also have been criticising the Government for remitting the duty after they had purchased considerable stocks of wheat. The 'Oamaru .Mail' m commenting upon an interview its representative had with a leading flourniiller say.s that, assuming that the Australian Hour this year will give 20 more loaves to the ton than the Zealand Hour, that means on the basis of 9d per loaf that the Australian flour is worth to the baker 1">.- petton more than the New Zealand. Thai point cannot be ignored. But wheatgrowers and millers are concerned to a much wider extent than the local effect of the removal of the duty, ft means that in the whole of the North Island markets South Island millers can lie beaten badly by the Importers of Australian flour. As a matter of fact, the purchasing markets of the Dominion will be practically closed against the flourmillers and of the selling centres unless they redacc the price of their flour considerably, and a reduction in the price of Hour involves a corresponding decrease in the price of wheat. Without such a reduction the holders of wheat would lose more than half of their possible consumers, and a deficiency of wheat would thus oe transformed into a surplus, with a consequent lowering of values. In any case the position of Ihe holders of wheat must lie prejudicially affected. Bat others besides wheat sellers and llourmiilers have to be considered. The consumer lias lights that must receive consideration in any State action. The crux of the whole matter is whether or not the removal of the duty on Hour with a reduction in the price of wheat that ii entails, deprives the wheat-grower of any part of the "adequate retnunera. ion" that the legislation of last session provided should be assued to him If it does not, then the wheat-grower has not cause for complaint, for the law was made to protect him against unfair competition and not to secure to him greater gains because of a snort supply of an indispensable article of everyday consumption. Whatever may be tie final dei-ion of the Government, the cpufe enee at Christchurch wi.l have done goof by bringing the farmers into consultation with the Minister. In the course of a day or two we may look for a statement from him as to the course to be followed. Farmers will then have ample lima to make up their minds as to how much land they will devote to next season.