FEED FOR FOWLS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26693, 12 February 1948, Page 2

FEED FOR FOWLS

Sir,—You have lately published articles relative to the scarcity of wheat for fowl feeding, but even Mr McGlinchy, chairman of the New Zealand Poultry Board, failed to reach the core of the matter. In my opinion, the fact that so many people are reducing their fowl flocks or going out of the business entirely is due to the fact that the price of fowl wheat has never been fixed, as is that of milling wheat. The result is a huge “ black market” for fowl wheat, in which prices soar up to 10s and 11s a bushel, while good milling wheat cannot be sold above 8s per bushel. It is not only the shortage of supplies that is bothering the small poultrykeeper, but the exoribtant prices asked for hard grain. The question naturally arises: Who was it that left this convenient loophole for establishing a nice black market in so essential a grain as wheat? Inquires reveal that the Wheat Board and not the Government are the culprits. But the Government appointed the Wheat Board, and surely had something to »do with framing the regulations governing its operations. It seems to me that some sinister hand inimical to the Labour cause and the principle of a “ fair go ” for everybody must have left the loophole open. Most small farmers with wheat crops in Otago are holding the whole of their crop in order to reap the big prices ruling in

the “ free ” or " black ” market. There appears to be no Government regulation, and if there is it is openly flouted. Another thing that weighs heavily against the poultry man is that many of the bags of wheat sold at per bag (say, 30s or 355) contain only three bushels in place of the regulation three and ahalf. This is another of the effects of an “ open-slather ” market and another nail in the coffin of the poultrykeeper, who is finding the game of trying to produce eggs not worth the candle—l am, etc., Country Poultrykeeper. Balclutha, February 10.