QUESTION OF THE PRICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16590, 13 July 1917, Page 4

QUESTION OF THE PRICE.

BEST POSSIBLE ARRANGEMENT, j [by telegraph. PßESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. In reviewing the purchase of Australian wheat, the Minister for Agriculture said that when he went to Australia he met the Federal Minister for Agriculture and Mr. Hughes, who said they had decided to raise the price of wheat, but would not do so until New Zealand had completed the purchase of the wheat required. Finally he found the best arrangement he could make was to purchase at 5s 6d a bushel. The first lot brought to Dunedin sold at the ship's side at 6s 3d. He had received congratulations from all parts of Otago stating that both the price and the quality were highly satisfactory, and asking him not to yield to pressure from persons who demanded that the wheat should be sold at less than the Government gave for it. He further announced that the Government intended to pay 5s lOd a bushel f.o.b. for next season's wheat. Mr. G. Witty, Riccarton, said he thought the Government had been over hasty in rushing to Australia to purchase wheat when there were ample stocks in New Zealand to carry us over till" next season. We had to pay a higher price for Australian wheat simply because the Prime Minister would not come to the rescue of Australia in the previous year. At the close of the debate. Mr. MacDonald briefly replied, contending that the Government had acted in all transactions only after obtaining the best information possible at the time.