“A PRIVILEGED CLASS”

Northern Advocate, 4 August 1932, Page 9

“A PRIVILEGED CLASS”

STRONG LETTER TO MR FORBES. QUESTION OF WHEAT DUTIES. (Special to “Northern Advocate.”) AUCKLAND, This Day. Following the (’rime Minister’s reported statement that it is not the Government’s intention to review the wheat duties this year, the president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, on behalf of the council, has written protesting against this decision. He says the present rate of duty, ■equivalent to 70 per cent ad valorem, keeps up the cost of living unduly, makes revision of wage rates diflicult and so retards reduction of productive costs.

The yield of wheal lands per acre in New /calami is some four times as great as Australian, and no protection should be necessary. Pastoral farmers are being mined, while the wheat farmer is being maintained in .i privileged position and some of rank and (lie of the population are on the brink of starvation.

The present temper of the community is not sn<*li ;is to tok*rate tin* maintenance of privileged classes. The letter concludes: “If tlu* Cldverninont does not feel strong enough to reduce the duties itself and defy a small, but noisy, minority of by no means disinterested advocate of high wheat and flour duties we suggest, it set up an entirely independent nonpolitical royal commission to report on the subject.”