FOWL WHEAT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 1 September 1932, Page 4

FOWL WHEAT

REPLY TO PROTEST MR FORBES EXPLAINS DECISION TIMARU, 30th August. The Timaru Grain, Seed and Produce Merchant’s Association have received the following reply from the Prime Minister, the flight lion. G. W. Forbes, to their protest against importations of Australian fowl wheat. “The decision to import a limited amount of fowl wheat was arrived at only after full consideration in conference with representatives of the Wheat- Growers’ Association and the Wheat Marketing Board, who agreed that there was a genuine shortage in New Zealand of good fowl wheat, and that the importation was justified. It is admitted that there is a quantity of damaged wheat in the Dominion, but at the time of the decision, 4s 9d, sacks extra, was the ruling price for this class of wheat. This has caused great indignation among poultrymen, who, in any case, regard this wheat as being most unsatisfactory for their purposes.” Mr "C. Coxhead, secretary of the association. states that the Prime Minister’s statement regarding the ruling prices of 4s 9d is incorrect. . At the time damaged wheat was being retailed 4s to 4s ?d f.’o.b. Timaru, according to quality, and good wheat at 4s 8d f.o.b. SUBSIDY FAVOURED VIEW OF AUCKLAND FARMERS AUCKLAND, 30th August. Wheat duties were discussed at a meeting of the Southern Thames SubProvincial Executive of the Farmers' Union, representing branches _in the Morrinsville and Te Aroha districts. Several members said that Auckland farmers preferred that the Government should, if necessary, give wheatgrowers in the South Island a direct subsidy in order to make wheat growing payable, instead of the present protection afforded by a sliding scale of duties. A straight-out subsidy would enable 'ho public to know how much they were paying for the protection of the wheatgrowers, but with the present system of protection through the Customs it was impossible to know. This system of Customs duties was, they considered, much more costly to the public than would bo a. straight-out subsidy. _ Mr R. A. S. Browne, speaking from experiences in the south, claimed that the sliding scale of duties had tlie effect of making wheatgrowers disinclined to improve the yield per acre Ly up-to-date farming methods. The meeting decided to write to the of the Farmers’ Union and endeavour to allay misconceptions that- appeared to be current- in the south.