THE PRICE OF WHEAT.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13798, 7 February 1917, Page 2

THE PRICE OF WHEAT.

'NEXT YEAR'S CROP •i MINISTERIAL ANNOUNCEMENT i (P«r Pren Association.) CHRISTCHUECH, February 6 Tin addition to information alieady loltjaphed on the subject of wliftat 'the llou W 1). S. Mac Donald ilak-il lo day that it was intended to guaiantee to wheat glowers 5s 5d por bushel in iespoet of next ycai's crop, or at the Government's diseietion 5s lOd. v WELLINGTON, Februaiy 6, The legulatious that have been gazetted relative to the sale of wheat, flour, binn and' pollard provide:— I—Evejy pofson who, whether as principal oi agent, enters into any contract for the purchase of wheat, shall within seven days after the day of making the contract, send or cause to be sent to the Board of Trade, a notification of such contract containing the follow ing particulars: ,(a) Names and addresses of purchaser and seller; (b) Date on which contract was made; (c) Class and quantity of wheat so purchas ed; (d) Agreed date and place of delivery; (e) Price of wheat; (f) Price of sacks; (g) Particulars of any, terms or conditions which are not in accordance with established customs of trade at date of these regulations; (h)'lf coe« | tract is made or evidenced by any written document, a copy of that document; (i) Declaration made by or on behalf of the purchaser that the price of wheat is not in excels of the maximum price a? fixed at the date of the contract by any Order-in-Conncil made under the Regulation of Tr,ide and Commeiee Act, 1914 2—Every person who makes default in sending n notification in accordance with the foregoing provisions, or i\ho sends any such notification flinch is falie and misleading, in any particular shall be guilty of offence. 3—Nothing in this regulation shall render necessary a "notification of any i contract for the pinohase of wheat in ! any quantity less; than fifty bushels, save that two or more'contracts made f between the •■jnnio parties at the same i time, or substantially at the same time, i shall be deemed to be one contract for the purpose of this exemption, ; ; FLOUR. I—Every manufacturer of flour and every agent of the manufacturer of flour i who,: whether' by himself or an. agent, enters into any contract for the sale iof flour,/.bW or pollard, shall within seven cfnys after the end of a calendar month in which that contract is'made send -particulars thereof to the Board ■: ,of Trade. . '"'.<>.,:< ':'''•' 2—Every person who;••whether as principal,-agent, or otherwise, buys or sells or is in any manner concerned in the buying or selling of wheat, flour, bran ■ox pollard, at a- price in excess of the.maximum price as that determined by Order-in-Council, shall be guilty of an offence against the regulations. 8-r-The. Minister of -Agriculture, orany other member of the Board of Trade -may require any person to give to him •information- relative to the sale of or purchase of, any wheat, flour, bran or-pollard, whether, by person so required to give information c- by any other person. / ' ?BELINQ IN DUpDIM. DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. STRAIGHT TALK TO SPECUULA- ". ' TORS/ ' ',' (Per.TressAssociation) DUNEDIN, February 6. ' A- deputation representing the mili lers in punodin.and Southland had a hurried interview with the Hon, W. D, S, Mac Donald to-night ( regarding the price of wheat. In reply to questions, the Minister said that the price of sacks was fixed at Bd, payable by millers. The price of wheat was fitfed f.0.b,, main ports, Wheat would be paid for according to quality to be ascertained by the Government grader. The 'Government is not commandeering wheat.. The millers could bay in the usual way. If the fanners refused to sell, the Government would Seize the "wheat. Every purchasez and sellei was required to furnish, a report of the quantity and quality bought and sold, and the propose for which it was bought of sold, Pei sons buying for speculation were liable to a heavy penalty Some farmeis had two years' wheat on hand, but they would be compelled to sell in regai d to releasing the necessary wheat foi mixing purposes In the south millers would be allowed to ehaige an extia price on floui. An unpoit duty on Austialiali flom was ie imposed this morning. „ The Minister said he had been in foimed that it Was impossible to land Australian flom here foi £ls, but the deputation said it could, be landed for £l4 10«. ' ' Mr Mac Donald said that if it weie necessniy the Government would inciease the duty another £l, The piice of bian was £4, and pollard £5, The Minister said that according to the figuies obtained by the Government, Statistician there weie 1,650,000 bushels of whoat in the Dominion, the bulk piobnbly held by Speculator;). Farmers held or,ly 250,000 bushels. If anything like, that was found to exist'the Government would seize the wheat, % DEPUTATION TO s MINISTER AT ' i OAMARU. *' _ / Messrs R, Milhgan'and R, K, Ireland ias a deputation from the Flour Millea'

* ft' S/MacDoifald, Aoijing-Miaist'erfor; Industries 'and■ Commerce,-as lie'wasi passirig through Oataaru by Irnin \yestorday, and discussed 'with him the Govprnment scheme in connection with wheat and,flour, • 'Owing to the very 1 short stay of tlio train it was impossible to obtain niuch" information, but the Minister added that the prices re-! ferred to in'the Press Association mes-, sage' were the maximum prices, and that no minimum prices would be fixed. He stated also that the wheat would not be commandeered by the Government, and that the price was an f.o.b, one. The details of the scheme, Mr MacDowild stated, would be available when the Order-in-Council had been gazetted, and he would be glad to receive representations \ the subject from those interested when passing through Oamaru on his return from the south. Following'up the brief interview, Mr Milligan, as chairman of the Flour Milcis' Committee, telegraphed to the Board of Trade, pointing out that if only a maximum price for wheat was provided for, and the farmer was not . granted a minimum price, it would certainly discourage wheat growing, and lie trusted that provision would be made for a definite guarantee of a minimum priije to the farmers, A "prominent Oamaru business man, . wlio';is in a position to.speak for many farmers, stated to' a ," North Otago Times" reporter yesterday (hat the ■'. maximum prices for wheat, as fixed by .the 'Government, were quite satisfactory,? There was, he said, however, a feeling of other quar- • tefs at the Government not providing for the wheat being handled through the nsual.channels, It had been hoped and expected that the wheat would become. Government wheat, and would be distributed by the , merchants and brokers, as. Government agents, the .Government not being required to pay the • grower, that being done by the mer- . chants and millers in the ordinary way, , A good deal of dissatisfaction had been expressed at the proposed method of .the Government, and no doubt those, interested would state their objections'in due course.