THE WHEAT SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 5883, 1 April 1915, Page 9

THE WHEAT SUPPLY.

Sir,— read with great interest jour able article in this morning's issue on the production of wheat in New Zealand. The decrease in the amount produced in the country is an economic danger to ourselves and a loss to tlx© Empire, and to point this out as you have dono is a benefit to the community. I trust you will continue to insist on the point, and keep it well before the public. There is, however, ono matter which I trust you will also bring out. In the ordinary course wheat will be grown, or wool or butter produced, in accordance with the ordinary laws of supply and demand; that is to say, capital and labour will be devoted to producing that which promises to give the beat return. The declaration of war, however, showed that wheat is subject to a special disability, inasmuch as the exportation may be prohibited, and the grower compelled to take a lower than the world's price, while tho producer of wool or butter gets tho full advantage of the market, and under these circumstances farmers to whom tho choice is open will produce those things which are not liable to the risk of having to be sold for less than their value. It is true that the Government have abolished the prohibition to export wheat, but as they have quite recently. prohibited the export of oats, fa .-mors may well fear that wheat may be treated the same way at a later date. The action of the Commonwealth and the Dominion in prohibiting export of wheat is very far from the loyalty to tho Empire which all good citizens are striving for. In order that wheat may be cheaper here wo make it dearer elsewhere, and as the action tends to decrease the production it will probably end in making it. dear for overybodv. 'if Great Britain had been depending upon her colonies for the bulk of her wheat she might have found herself short in spite of that command of the sea, for which wo should everyone of us thank God on our bended knees. S. Gray.