EXPORTING SURPLUS WHEAT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21458, 4 April 1933, Page 13

EXPORTING SURPLUS WHEAT

Sir, —The sub-leader in your issue of Saturday should commend itself to tho serious perusal and consideration of the members of the Cabinet. That any New Zealand industry should receive adequate protection cannot bo disputed, but that one section of our primary producers should lie supported at the expense of all others is certainly inequitable. This is not to assert, however, that a wrong method is being adopted with regard to tho , wheat growing industry. It may bo ■ that tho support given to wheatgrowers should bo extended to all i other branches of industry. What lias been done with our surplus wheat is surely an advantage, since wo must receive something for it in return. If the wheat-fanner has received assistance from the Stato in past years, the greater harvest this year should enable tha wheat-farmer to "make it up" to the Stato by a lower price. The same principle should be applied to all our exportable produce. The surplus should bo purchased by the State at what might be termed tho economic price, and the State should t'ako the lisk of getting an adequate return in i tho shape of other goods from abroad, j It is submitted that the wheat system, j applied to all our surpluses, would j produce more stable conditions than at present arc possiblo through our uneconomic dependence on overseas markets. After all, wo should not become miserable, provided our surpluses gavo us a reasonable quid pro quo in foreign goods. If only we had no foreign debt to meet .... April 2, 1933. Peter Mellor. i