PRICE OF WHEAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22503, 22 February 1935, Page 5

PRICE OF WHEAT

EFFECT OF ARTIFICIAL FACTORS UNIFORM LEVEL ADVOCATED , {Special to> Daily Times.) • ■*".■','", AUCKLAND, February.'2l. The continued high protection of ■< the wheatgrowers in the south; was 'referred to. to-day. % the retiri,ng,.president,J Mr Luring at, the annuals meeting of the \ ce~ He of the; South Island shoulcl be able to wield' suqli politi--.ca'l- pow'er/'and .-said : ttafc- apart e frpm : the 'existence, of• the duties'which'ipresented "ah "obstacle to the negotiation of,' vahtageous ••trade, agreement?: with sister dominions the-ramifications were enormous;, .-: : " '■''.' •'. '-'-< ••' '■'. •':■'.'■,,'; •' 7 : v Sugar. pointed out, was manufactured Solely in;Auckland, but by, arrangement there wasv'a wholesale price throughout New Zealand. Wheat was produced almost solely in the east of the South Island,' but the wholesale price .rose progressively on- account of transport ■;. costs, the !further north one went. That was a state of affairs -that was-all,to-the disadvantage of Auckland and it should be remedied if: the Government desired to act justly and impartially to all parts of the country. There: was one modification that was essentially necessary' should the Government determine to maintain the present indefensible system of duties. The Wheat Purchase Board should hive ; explicit orders thatthe price of wheat throughout the country was to be on a uniform basis on the analogy of sugar. : As it Ttfas, the people in the wheatrgrowing areas .had. a two-fold advantage. The high prices caused by the sliding scaler of .duties not .only directly . benefited the 'wheatgrowers, but the consumers in the wheat-growing areas were able to buy I their wheat, flour,. and bread very much !'more': cheaply than the, consumers elsel- - where in New Zealand because, of the 'absence of high transport charges froni [ the producing areas. "