THE BEAT PROBLEM

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9740, 16 August 1917, Page 4

THE BEAT PROBLEM

AUSTRALIA’S SURPLUS SHOULD FARMERS GROW’ WINTER FEED OR WHEAT P Au important Question asked in Parliament yesterday by Air E. Newman, M.P. for Rangitikci, was as to “whether, in view of the very large supply of wheat in Australia, and the fact that the Government have undertaken to buy the next wheat crop in New Zealand, and also that there is likely to be a great difficulty in getting away trozen stock late in this year, will the Government consider the expediency of .citing the farmers grow winter feed instead, of wheat where they have not got tne wheat in vetl” The season, nutled Air A Civilian, hud been very wet, nnu a good deal of wheat was not yet >iava. Air C. H. Poole (Auckland W 7 est) : "The people's bread is the chief coas.d.siat.oii.' 1 (near, hear.) Air Acwmau: "i know that. I am asking tno question in the interests or the whole country.” (“Oil 1” hoar, hear and laughter.) Air Poole; 41 Wheat is of more importance than green feed.” (Hear, hear.) The Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald (Minister for Agriculture) replied that the Government were very anxious that New Zealand farmers should grow enough wheat for the requirements of the country, notwithstanding the largo quantity of wheat in Australia. The Government had purchased a quantity of wheat in the Commonwealth, and to uiusrrato the difficulties and disadvanerf trusting to an outside source of supply, he misht sav that they bad chartered two steamers to transport -ho "heat and had got two shipments; they hoped to get 4500 tons by a third steamer, but they only got 260 tons of wheat aboard when the steamer h d to go to Fiji to load up with sugar, that was the position when they bad to depend upon an outside market. (Hoar hear.) Tho Government had expected to got the whole of the wheat over in Now Zealand by December, but they were not certain now that they would get it in. Knowing that there was a large surplus in Australia, the Munster did not think that tho Government would ask any district iu New Zealand to face certain loss bv putting in wheat later on owing to the wet season. (Hear, hear.) The Government also recognised the difficulty in regard to stock. (Hear, bear.) They thought that, as far as possible, farmers should try to put in ! wheat and sheep feed as well. '(Hear, hear.) In the South Island a great deal of wheat had been put in. and he thought that the matter would come out all right, if other farmers did what they could. (Hear, hear.) The Government believed it to be essential that sufficient wheat should bo grown in New Zealand for the country’s requirements; and he thought that oven at ,5s lOd a bushel it would be cheaper than getting the wheat from Australia. They had rot the same system of grading in the Commonwealth as in Now Zealand. In this Dominion wheat could be purchased already graded, but in Australia they had to nick their wheat out of 70 million sacks containing 24 million bushels of wheat. (Hear, hear.)