LOOKING AHEAD

North Canterbury Gazette, Volume 5, Issue 61, 26 June 1936, Page 6

LOOKING AHEAD

Wheat Supplies in War ADVOCATES OF STORAGE A contribution to the current discussion of the part of agriculture in national defence was made by Sir Herbert Matthews at the Boyal Society of Arts in London last month. Sir Herbert was formerly secretary to the Central Chamber of Agriculture, and has taken part in questions relating to war-time food-supplies for many years. He read a, paper on the problem of wheat supply of war-time. He used to maintain that the only sound way to store wheat was to keep it in the stack on the farms. But only under the very greatest pressure is there any probability of the home crop being increased by more than double the present acreage, and that is not enough to give the nation security. So he is forced to the conclusion that we ought to hold at least six months’ supply in silos or elevators. “The elevators should not be concentrated at the ports, but be scattered well over the country, in order to save transport at a time when every railway truck is needed for war purposes, and in order to spread the risk of loss by enemy action. They should be underground, and effectually covered against destruction from aeroplanes. They will have to be stocked mainly with imported grain, as that is drier than home-grown. A Wheat Commission j “The control of these elevators ] should be in the hands of a Wheat Commission, who should keep a constant watch on the condition of stocks, should make all purchases, and order sales when necessary. The control of this six months’ supply by a National Commission would have a remarkably steadying effect on wheat prices in any ! crisis. This Commission should be Appointed by Parliament, should present an annual report, and be responsible only to Parliament, Whether their reports should be made public is a matter for consideration. 1 think they should not.” How was an increase in wheat acreage to be brought about? There was only one way, and that was to guarantee to the growers a minimum price for all marketable wheat that , they sold. It was a fundamental part of this proposal that the bonus must be paid per quarter (or per hundredweight), and not per acre. The scheme must encourage the production; of both quantity and quality, and payment per acre would encourage neither. Payment per acre was the fatal mistake made in the Corn Production Act of 1917. One of the important features of this scheme is that storage would be spread all over the country, instead of being concentrated in a few centres.