WHEATCROWERS' CONFERENCE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 13969, 26 January 1920, Page 8

WHEATCROWERS' CONFERENCE.

A crowded meeting of tanners and these interested in wheat growing was hold in the County Chambers 011 Saturday afternoon. Mr J. G. Macdonald, l'rV;»ident of tile Farmers' Union, presiding- . ~ 'lliu Chairman said that all -would , have read the report of the result 01 the conference, which, for some rea- , sun. wan closed to the Press. The prices < Jixe'd were not satisfactory to farmers ul the Xortli Otago district, but there . was a lartre number of delegates presmiu ironi "other districts whose reports wire uiost illuminating. Prices were , discussed fully. The North Otago delegates 1 ideas ol" prices were much highei than those of the others. At. the preliminary conference the prices fixed, on the .suggestion of North Otago delegates. were & Od. Ss 3d. and fc's, biu -tiH'=e were objected to by the "Premier, who said they must be referred to Cabinet, as they were so high. Ihe Premier" said that, without referring the matter to Cabinet, he could not accept the responsibility of these prices and he retired. The delegates then discussed the matter among themselves and decided that they would submit to t-lie •■Premier 7s 9d, 7s 6d, and <s 3d. Altei consultation with the Premier _ t-hesa prices were agreed upon for the mcomiu«r harvest. The Premier advised delegates to consult- in regard to the prices for the next two years, and make a proposal to be submitted to Cabinet. -\lr J A. Macpherson pointed out that the class-of the Australian wheat that would be delivered after the 2,000,000 bushels afc 7s 2d would be of poorer (iutility. Good wheat, in excess of that 2,000.000 would cost 8s fd to-day. Ihey . must'not forget that the Government had the people to consider as well as tne fanner, and if this meeting cotnd secure. another-3d for the present ye;s it should be content. Air Gardiner said that the previous speakers had fully reported what had occurred at-the conference. He agreed "with Mr Macpherson that if a very large, price were asked they would liot -ret it. but tliev were sure of an increased price for the next two years. To Mr Milne the Chan-man said that the matter of guaranteeing a price irrespective of yield had not been laiseu at the conference. „ Mr Milne said that the-farmer was now receiving 4Jd of the Is toaf; th miller and the baker got /-*d of it. Comparing the. risks of farming with tho u e of t-hn others -mentioned, fanners , were unfairly treated. Statistics were based on average yields, hut nor - westers and yields under the had to be faced by the* farmer. Hat Home the farmer got less than 3bushels at 9d he was recompensed. ?lo miller or baker could lose £9OO in a season, as was Mr McCulloch s e.nce in wheat one year. - The farmci should be. guaranteed something. - Mr Gardiner said that this would ,H,v,u- be done while m NorthCantei-bm-v farmers were prepared to grow wheat at. 4s a bushel. . Mr J. A. Macpherson pointed out that this man (a. member- °f the Wheat , Board) never had less than (2 bushels The Chairman said that a well-known authority at Lincoln College, after careful investigation, found that.there ■***■ a .loss, over four years ot hi per aei in -growing-'wheat. ' T4te Chairman. i» iepb ,l <! V;T said that the price ct wnfa "r - uitelv fixed tor this year, and it «..<>d bp of no use trying to alter it, --Mr James Freeman pointed out un. ca<e of- a man owning a large tarm vi ho had sworn at the- man who asked lnm to grow wheat. The small man wh.-> grew wheat year in and year out was not responsible for the price ot (ho . loaf, but rather the miller, who via.. • retting fat at the expense ot the wag.'---earner. Farmurs were certainly en titled to the cost of an imported .<:• ► tide of equal quality to New Zealand wheat. "Let the Government use its 2.000,000 bushels from Australia auU 1 then buy ours." concluded the speal-.ei. Legislation or the promise ot an opon maT-ke-t was useless, as it there was . bumper crop with a guaranteed pn-.-i of Ss the farmer would never. get it ■ Air James Hore said that- the Australian wheat, 2.000,000 bushels at jfd. which was the chief argument, against an increased price to-day, tva--grown two years ago. and it was no urst-class wheat. lhe war was over, and patriotic considerations did not wei"-h as nutch. Enough had been rubbed -iroiu producers to house -New /.<■:< laud adequately. It was icnown thai inmiv large wheatgrov.ers _<> id not to "'row anv more. An 21- years p» .good country he had never sLruck i r ood crop and a good price but twice. "ft and 4 2 bushels being his most, profitable yields. Al) the- fanner -. as*ed yea* the value of the wheat lie icrew. He had had a shock when lie paid io=; a- pair of plough socks 345, but that was a a long-standing account, 10-uav they were 40s.- Everything else hau gone up. It was a pity that- New Zealand could not grow wheat enough lor 'ltswin but- if tlnnas were run as tm:» were -for several years, farmers wou-.j never' grow it. ■ Mr Gardiner said that he and 9o_pcr cent of the farmers Had been led .tu.. expect a free marliet, but tlie SolicitorGeneral said that when the price • <il wheal, was fixed there could be no iree markot. - . Mr J. A. Macpherson said that was impossible to have a thing fro*;and fix-ed at the same time. .Mr W. Forrester said they coiild.noc say what-.the price of wheat should !*, for two years when every '.charge was unfixed. Threshing mill-owners had .recentlv raised their charges, others were doing the same. - 'J hey would probably raise, their charg4s next .year. Then how could farmers {guarantee their prices for two yearo? , The- President, said it was. proposed by Ihe Prime Minister to fix the pric; for two years. "This would be to the advantage of farmers. The price of wheat in the future would be fixed by the harvests in Australia, .and if farmers, here fixed their price for two years tliev would be safe. It. was ijcldom that Australia did not grow more than enough for its own requirements' two seasons running. Mr Gardiner said that if 8s 3d, t>s, and 7s 9d were 'obtained fanners would, still not. have got. what they should, but they might do well to accept it. Mr Macpherson. said that GOlb ; husliel had been fixed as a standard. Mr H. S. Orbell moved that, in view of the,increased price of B manures and implements since the Conference, this meeting of formers, and wheat-growers is of:the opinion that to encourage,the growing..of wheat the prices, should be fl-xco at Hs 3d, Bs. and 7s 9dMr J. A. Macpherson naid that numuces'-were.going up 30s a ton, andalso rise in implements had been announced, both increases made since the Conference,, and that should bear upon thi'- price accepted. ijfr. .1. Nfiwlands said that ot'erhcad 'charges had a great deal to d>> with the'..cost of production. Why uiiliers liad the f.o.b charge-hi tlieir fitvor ho did not know. He -Witts if"siiiall farmer, hut- the f.o.b. charge for him amouiiclo £6O. '' -.The Chairman said that, although C.n.t. had been suggosied at the Con-, fore-nee, it had been pointed nut that the 'price must be fixed at some .port. ,iMr p. Grant, seconded ; Mr OrboH'.; n lotion. Mr X. A. Macphefsou thought .t-h" .'(lU'stinn of recomuense during tutfavor:!b'<J yields should be included. • A-motion by Mr Milne to safeguard ; ftinners against poor yields raised some opposition on the grotmds that/the difference- in ,the qualities of soils .would ■"introduce.opportunities for the defrauding of the Governmejit,\bqt Mr j\iuif"> Freeman spoke in support''of it under reasonable safeguards, and in secou.ling the motion Mi* Dick spoke in its support. . Mr Forrester said that .wage®, .v "t----up.by award in relation to of living, and surely farmers should i-'-allowed a better price when labor vm 1 clvirges Went up: The'mot-ion was carried. A'hearty vote of thanks to the gates was carried on the motion of Y! '• J Horc. The Chairman said they had their best. The opposition- niei. . had been explained. The- Conterer.ee -jjras l>y no means abortive.