WHEAT PRODUCTION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue 13141, 2 May 1917, Page 4

WHEAT PRODUCTION.

<■ The County- ; County . of- ; foo^tuffs^'payed "_*W» ?; ?£for ; ;.a; general ,-aiid- ! interestirig -discussion: at the .terdaiyy '■■ vjv- ." r ti : - / \ 'ti-, -;.::v-C' '".s - 'The 7 Waipara '"Council ;fdrwar'ded "a. "series- rof"' resolutions; '■■ relative};'to • >the; ' question of growing f I *ing- that*all r smaU ;&reas be*cultivateai Regarding 1 the; prodttctibn iof?• wheat; the Waipara./ Council also>iuggested .that •■ a : system : S6f jpeisohai /ianrass; be introduced by the 7 Councilin:Order that the highest of'^ ea ' fe might-be grown'. ; - r -: *^i-*.-^f ; ■■'' ' Councillor Glark ; thoughts-it a rgpo'd idea- to fall in-witlFthis-proposal. 4 Councillor Diiver said that-Gouncillor Orbell,.atthe IvCuaitiiCoiinfy. Council* mentioned that thVSlihisterhad made a. : mistake-iii this matter of wheat-growing,- andliehad stated that if wheat could?bo at a? cheaper 'rate by Importing it it would be better for the' farmers -tb{grow. other : thiiigSj sucb'as turnips and-mut-ton: The speaker was'inclih»d tOr agree with."' this ; view, if wheat could ;be pro> cured., more cheaply from 'elsewhere.; - Councillor King: I dbn't agree with Mi- Orbell. The land! of the country is; "riot Jield : merely for the - benefit, of the' farming community, but for the 'community as a, whole.' The farmers are only -the occupiers of, the;laiidj should do our duty as Britishers to the community and grow _the/whtea(fc jrefor the cotrntry.:' We; should feel 'that-it is our duty as occupiers' of the? laud to : produce- L as much as ;weypossibly can of all the '-foodstuffs' Squired. Mr Oibell showed a little unpatribtism in speaking-as he had. .So- far; as ;i----canvass is concerned, rdoif't think it. is necessary, as the -Minister' has :al-" t ready circularised- farmers pii the; niat--1 ter.. '•■'•. In my district (Greenfield), more wheat : -will "be produced this: year :than has been-the"case for a long time. Councillor Driver:' : I think Coimcil-.-lor King 'has taken me up wrongly. I did hot mean.that we should not grow wheat. I say that if Mr Orbell is correct in : his: remarks., we can get, wheat more .cheaply by importing -itr—then itis better" that we should produce other foodstuffs." ■ !,' ■'< . - Councillor Scott: Wheat is going: to be one of the factors-in wirihirig the Vvnr. Wd have only to notice how at Home they are taking up and cultivatiing land which has been idle for years and pUttiiii; it down in wheat. If rwe take our c tie from the Old Gouutry and grow everything that is required in t»c wav of produce we will bo doing our, dutv. I am firmly convinced that the time has come w hen selfishness .must be: - set on one side- 1 -! hope for all time,— and every effort made by the people, as a whole to do what is right in the'interests of the country and the Em-

Councillor Russell moved that tiro Council support the Waipaira suggestions." ■■■'■: . - Councillor King seconded- the motion, which wasAcarried unanimously.