THE WHEAT DUTIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20402, 2 November 1929, Page 15

THE WHEAT DUTIES.

protection confirmed.

freeing bran and pollard.

FINDINGS OF COMMITTEE.

bread costs inquiry urged

[Br TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Friday. Iho retention of tho sliding scale of duties affecting wheat and flour and- tho admission duty freo of bran and pollard arc the principal recommendations of the ■Special Select Committee which heard evidenco on these questions, in its report to tho House to-day. Tho committee also suggested a recess investigation by the Department of Industries and Commerce into the costs of milling wheat and tho baking and distribution bread. An adverse motion to refer the report back to tho committeo was defeated by a substantial majority.

Tho items of the order of reference on which the committee was instructed to report to tho House, and tho conclusions of tho committee, are as follows: (1) Tho advantages from a national standpoint of tho policy of tho Dominion being self-supporting as far as its wheat requirements aro concerned.—The committee is unanimously of opinion that the Dominion should be self-supporting so far as its wheat requirements are concerned. Investigation Into Industry.

(2) Whether the wheat growers of the Dominion require protection or State assistance to enable them to market their product in competition with the importations from other countries.—The committee is unanimously of opinion that the wheat growers of the Dominion should have some form of protection. (3) What form of protection or State assistance (if any) would effect that object, without unduly adding to the cost of wheat, flour, bread, fowl wheat and wheat offal to the users?— The commit tee recommends that the present sliding scale of duties affectirtg wheat and flour, as provided under the Customs Amend ment Act, 1927, be continued, but that bran and pollard be admitted to the Do minion free of duty. (4) Whether protection is required for the flour-milling industry.—The answer to this question is covered by the answers to the preceding questions, but the committee unanimously recommends that the Department of Industries and Commerce be asked to investigate the operations of tho milling industry with the object of ascertaining whether or not the cost of the production of flour can be reduced. U'o Relief From Prices. (5) Whether the costs of baking and distribution of bread to consumers are reasonable or othei'wise.—Tho committee unanimously recommends that in view of the disparity in the cost of baking and distribution of bread in various centres, the Department of Industries and Commerce be instructed to investigate the cost of baking and distribution of bread. Expressing his personal opinions on the subject, Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, chairman of the committee, pointed out that the committee had been unable to agree upon the amount of protection that should be given. He regretted that the committee could not reduce the amount of duty on wheat and flour, with a view to bringing about a reduction in the price of bread to the people. Under the present sliding scale of duties it was not possible to import wheat under 7s lOd a bushel and flour under £l7 14s a ton. There was no possibility of relief from those prices, nor was there any guarantee that the pricus could not be lifted in New Zealand. There was a powerful milling organisation and wheat pool, and both were out to obtain the maximum price, which could bo the price at which the imported article could be brought into the country, plus freight and duty. Ultimately, perhaps very shortly, the highest possible rates would be extracted from the consumer under the protection given. " Public Practically Inarticulate." " I can only look at the thing from the commonsense point of view," added Mr. Wilkinson. "If strong organisations are controlling the commodities they will always ge:; the highest possible price for the goods they handle. The general public is practically inarticulate. The only ones who can speak for them are members of Parliament, and it is to them that they must look for protection. Mr. J. S. Fletcher (Government— Grey Lynn): Yes, and we are going to do it. Mr. Wilkinson: The member for Grey Lynn usually speaks freely and no doubt he will present us with some fireworks later. (Laughter.) Mr. Wilkinson said he considered that under the present duties the scale was weighted agaijjst the purchaser of bread arid wheat. (Government Hear, hears. ) Wheat raised under "sheltered ' conditions was being exported from New Zealand and would bo sold in competition in the open markets of tho world. The net result would bo of considerable interest to the grower of wheat in New Zealand, because it would give him some idea of the advantage he now obtained. Varying Prices of Bread.

Mr. Wilkinson said he bad always urged that the wheat grower should receive reasonable consideration. The question of the price of bread had been brought prominently before the committee, and statements were made that, whereas in some parts of New Zealand the 41b. loaf cost 10d, the price in other places was as high as Is 4d. Mr W. D. Lvsnar (Reform—Gisborne): Whore was"the lOd charged? Mr. Wilkinson: In Dunedin. Mr. Wilkinson added that the chairman of tho wheat pool had stated that even if wheat wore given away free the cost of the 41b. loaf would be lid m Auckland and 8d in Christchurch. That indicated that the present method of grinding wheat into flour and baking the flour into bread was a very costly item. It, had been stated before the committee that in sotne cases the cost of delivery worked out at 2d per loaf. An Amendment Moved.

Mr. T. W. McDonald (GovernmentrWairarapa) moved that the report be referred back to the committee for further consideration, Mr. F. Lye (Government Waikato) seconding the amendment. Mr. Lyunar asked why the people of New Zealand should be penalised by compelling them to pay £l7 14s a ton as against £l3 10s a ton for flour, simply because it was desired to encourage a few farmers to grow wheat? 1 lie present position was weighted against the consumers of bread. _ Several members defended the protection afforded the wheat industry. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Government— Waitomo) stated cheap foodstuffs were essential. They could not afford to put a duty on wheat in New Zealand because it meant, that the price of flour went up He agreed there was need of a searching inquiry info the milling industry. The Leader of the Labour Party. Mr. H. E. Holland, said he would like to see a business-like, systemalised .plan under which growers were guaranteed a decent return for the wheat they P r °d"«d and a bonus to bring the return for opera tions up to a satisfactory figure, seiemed to bo the correct method to deal with the situation. The wheat .ndustry was entitled to the same protectt on as *as afforded any other natural industry New Zealand.-

The amendment was defeated by 50 votes to 20 and the report 'was adopted. Following is the division list:— FOR THE AMENDMENT—2O Barnard McDonald Black McDougi 11 Broadfoot Mclveen Fletcher Martin Harris Mason Hogan Muims Jenlvins Rushworth Jordan Sera Die Langstono Smith Lyo Wright AGAINST THE AMENDMENT—SO Ansell McComhs Armstrong Macmilian Atmore Macpheison • Bitchener. Makitauara Bodkin Massey Carr Munro Chapman Murdoch Clinkard Nash Coates Ngata Cobbe O'Brien Do la Pcrrello Parry Dickie Poison Field Ransom Forbes Samuel Eraser Savage Hall Stallworthy Hamilton Stewart Hawks Sullivan Healy Taverner Holland, H. Veitch Holland, H. E. Waito Howard Wilford Jones Wilkinson Kyle Williams Linklater Young TRAINING OF NURSES. PRIVATE HOSPITAL WORK. PROTEST AT EXTENSION. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Friday. The privilege of being allowed to train probationers for State nursing examinations so they may qualify as fully certificated nurses has long been sought by certain private hospitals in New Zealand. If tho Nurses and Midwives Amendment Bill is passed by Parliament this session this privilege will bo conceded to certain institutions which come up to tho required standard. The bill makes provision whereby the Nurses and Midwives Registration Board will be given authority to licence any private hospital, which in the opinion of tlie board is an institution in which trainees may gain the necessary experience. The board will be the solo judge of the merits of tho institutions applying for a licence. A deputation of nurses from tho New Zealand Trained Nurses' Association, acting under authority from tho conference recently held in Auckland, waited upon tho Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, to-day. The deputation expressed strong opposition to the bill being brought down at this stage of the session and asked for its postponement until the New Zealand Trained Nurses' Association had had an opportunity to fully consider the measure The fear was expressed that should the measure become law a great injustice would be done to the New Zealand-trained registered nurses and that the reciprocal arrangement now obtaining between New Zealand and Great Britain would bo seriously prejudiced. It was urged that the high standard of training of nurses in New Zealand would be likely to suffer should the bill now before tho House be rushed through without a full measure of consideration. The Minister said he regretted that the bill could not be introduced earlier. It was proposed" to vest tho power in the Nurses' and Midwives' Registration Board to say which private hospitals should bo recognised. It was the intention of the Government to fix the standard at 40 beds. He promised to consult his colleagues in the Cabinet to see whether the bill could be postponed as desired.