WHEAT DUTIES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 245, 15 September 1932, Page 4

WHEAT DUTIES.

STATEMENT FOR GROWERS.

Per Press Association

CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 14. The New Zealand Wileatgrowers’ Co-operative Association lia-s issued a statement to all members of Parliament ill reply to tho circular of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce requesting the appointment of a commission to advise the Government in regard to wheat duties. The statement runs: “The form of this request for an inquiry suggests that its purpose is not to find out the facts, but to facilitate the depriving of the wheatgrowers of their present protection. Wheatgrowers have no objection to the fullest inquiries being made, and the fullest information being obtained in regard to their industry for the guidance of the country’s policy, but we suggest that that information is already available in the report of the Wheat Industries Committee of the House; and the requests for repeated inquiries suggest that the policy of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce is to try and retry the alleged criminal until somebody can lie found to bring him in guilty.” The statement goes on to state that 7000 farmers are engaged in the industry, and that more than 20.000 workers obtain from wheat protection an important part of their yearly income. Replying to the statement that wheatgrowers have made no contribution to the decreased costs, it is pointed out that when the present method of protection was introduced in 1027 the wheatgrower was given 6s bushel. He now receives 4s 4d.