THE WHEAT POSITION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3757, 16 March 1926, Page 18

THE WHEAT POSITION.

DISCUSSED BY MILLERS AND BAKERS. REQUEST FOR QUALITY FLOUR. A request that the people of New Zealand should be supplied with a better quality of flour for their bread was made to a meeting of Distributors (Ltd.), over which Air F. J Corson presided, by the executive ol the New Zealand Master linkers and Paatiycooka’ Association on Thursday. The whole wheat position, was dealt with, and the millers nave their assurance that they were out to give the best quality of article. The Government was attacked by the millers for its policy in allowing the importation of Austraiiau flour. In introducing the deputation, the President (>lr G. K. Mathieeon) explained the leasone for asking for a conference, personally he kuew little of the flour question, L/*it he could discriminate between good and bad flour, aud they knew that bad flour was dear at any price. The hakers wanted a guarantee that the flour bought was up to s certain standard. “In buying flour, we are at the beet in the \nvidious position of buying *» pig is a poke."* stated Mr W. R. Andrews t Wellington), who teted ss spokesman. The bakers considered that it was ilme that the millers were ftskeJ to glee them talusfaction in the quality of flour supplied. During the year several quantities poor Qiality floor which noted against the

baker and the miller had been received. Their earnest desire was to reach a conclusion by which a flour would be provided that could be manufactured into a first-quality loaf. It had been suggested that the services of an analytical chemist should be requisitioned, but so far it was merely a suggestion. The bakers realised the difficulties encountered by the millers in New Zealand, and were quite ready to co-operate with them. At last j'ear’s conference the millers had expressed the intention of giving the bakers a fair deal, but unfortunately there were still among their ranks —and to their detriment — millers who supplied the poorest quality of flour, which made the bakers anxious to come to some definite conclusion as to what was first-quality flour, so that they could keep in line with the requirements of the Health Department and their customers. If the miller had any suggestions the deputation would be very pleased to hear them. The wheat question was a big one, and it was regrettably in a state of chaos at the present time, according to the newspapers. The time was opportune while the millers wore *"cleaning lip’* that affair to include in their reorganisation scheme proposals for the betterment of the position from the bakers* point of view. Mr T. 8. Soarlo (Dunedin) said that at tlie oisrtor bakers’ conference held in Christchurch two years age, an instructive and valuable paper on wheat and milling was read by Mr Corson. Ilia lecturer had been r.ded what he considered was a fair percentage to take out of wheat in order to give a first Qualify flour. II his memory sorved. Mr Corson had stated: “I can reply to that question in a way you can understand perfectly.*’ and he had said that some years ago in Great Britain there were tremendous importations of foreign flour,

from both Europe and America. The importations were so heavy that .the millers began to feel that they were not getting a fair share of the business being done, and they inquired the reason. The Government had asked the bakers why they were sending so many orders for flour to the other countries and the answer was that they received good quality, irrespective of price. The millers had then asked if the bakers would take British flour if the quality were improved, and the bakers had replied that they certainly would buy it. An improvement had taken place in the flour f witn the result that there bad been a big reduction in the importation of foreign flour. The New Zealand bakers had remembered that, and they thought that perhaps something could be done now. They wanted the millers to agree to a certain percentage. If the baker were buying AI flour—and he did not say that they would not be prepared to pay for Al quality flour—-he believed they required some guarantee that it was that quality of flour. TTie bakers had considered that they should take Mr Corson at his word. Some flour was always good—every miller in the room made good flour (laughter)— and they should bring into line tho millers who would not make a good average standard of flour. “We have not come in a hostile manner or with a pistol to your hernia, to-day we want that and we don’t want that,” said Mr Searle. “We feel that you need help, and we are perfectly willing to do our best to help you. We want some guarantee of good flour." Mr Barker (secretary to the Bakers’ Association) said that statements had been made at the conference that one or two millers wc># intending to get as much Victory wheat as they could. There was a feeling of resentment among the bakers that they should have to pay the same price for flour of good, bad, and indifferent qualities.

Mr S. M’Millan (Wellington) said tiiat they did not now believe that bread was the staff of life. The quality of the flour used had not improved. At tho annual bakers’ conference held two years ago he had brought up the matter with a man who. was a Government chemist, or was connected with the Lincoln Agricultural C'ol lege, and had asked him whether expert ments were being made in the growing of wheat. He had been assured that something was being done, and the conference had had the pleasure of visiting the college and seeing what work was being carried out. The official had been asked if any steps had been taken in making experiments with the stook and _ stack threshed wheats, but he had replied in the negative, stating that that was a matter for the millers. He did not know what the millers had done in this regard, but the time had come when they should do something. They should adopt the stack-threshed whea for milling, and it should be in stack for six weeks before threshing, because th* straw extracted the moisture from the wheat and made it more pliable for dean ing with rollers. He did not know whether those arguments could be nrg-d now, but he knew’ that they were effective 40 years ago, and he believed that they would still hold good. He would suggest to the millers that they should make the tests, which might prove beneficial to the trade. With the competition from Aus tralia, the millers would have to get busy niic* endeavour to improve the quality )t tl flour, which would result in the im piovemcnt of the quality of the loaf and an increase of consumers. Mr Alatkieson: I think this is an opportune time for the millers to take the matter up. The flour coming in from overseas might not be anything as good as the local flour. Personally I prefer local flour every time, but tests sliouh be made of the imported article. I woulb suggest to the executive of DLtributors (Limited) and other concerns in New Z( aland that they should take up a stand and ask the Government to make tests of flour coming into New Zealand. But tl ey can’t do that unless they test their own.

Air J. Gold (Balclutha) said that mil leis in Edinburgh had three grades of fieur. and persons buying first quality could be assured that the flour was ot the best. “ I don’t profess to be able t? show’ millers their business, but 1 can say that different qualities of flour can K* made from the same grist,” he declared. It was said that the mills in New Zealand were more up-to-date than elsewhere, and the mills should make three qualities of fit ur and send them to the bakers fo’ mixing. The bakers would be prepared to pay, and would get customers who would also be prepared to pay if there were two distinct qualities of flour in stead of one. He did not know whetlu. the suggestion was of worth to the millers, but he knew that it would be good for the bakery trade if they could get flour in different qualities. Mr R. Hudson (director): Do you think bakers in New’ Zealand would make two qualities of bread? Mr Gold: Yes. Mr Hudson: I am quite certain they would not. Mr Gold: They are doing it now’.

Air Hudson said that there was l demand for second quality flour in the Old Country, but what were they going to do if two qualities of flour w’ere made in New Zealand? There was no demand for that here. The demand for second giade flour was made for the poor people of England. It was impossible for the Be minion millers to make first, second and third quality flour, and lie was sure that no bakers were prepared to make two qualities of bread. Mr M’Millan: They are doing it nere If you examine the bread here and in Wellington you will agre that there are two Qualities of bread. Mr’J. 11. Bruce (a director) said that he had listened attentively to Air M*Millan’s remarks. They knew that the best grain w’as obtained from the stack-threshed wheat, but the farmers would not follow the practice. Mr M’Millan: Offer them twopence a bushel more.

Mr Bruce: Well, what about the present position ? Mr M’Millan: Millers should discourage the growing of poor-auality wheat. Mr Bruce: With i ;ard to the quality of flour, up-to-date mills taking 72, 73, and eyen 75 per cent, will make better flour than the mills taking only 68 per cent. It is not a question of the quality of wheat you take out, but how you take it out.

Air Barker: The bakers have to pay the same price for bad flour, and that is the complaint. That is why we ask for an absolute test so that we will know what we are buving. Mr R. K. Ireland (a director) said that the bakers could not rely only on an analyst’s reports and tests. The true test was in the baking. He had no intentions of discouraging them, as he thought that the Distributors (Ltd.) should adopt their proposal. He believed that both the miller and the baker were endeavouring to give the best to their customers; therefore they should get the best wheat grown to give the best flour. The millers could not get the correct proportions of the different varieties. He had been working out a problem as follows: —If a farmer got 6s per bushel for Dreadnought, which yielded 70 bushels to the acre, what would thov have to give him to equal the 40 bushels of Velvet? That was the question that required answering. Mr E. H. Loufh (a director) said that 95 per cent, of the bakers knew that the whole aim of the millers was to make good flour. They had no other aim. The suspicious type cf man, however, would say that they were always out for profit. A Baker: And so you should be. Air Lough: Our whole aim, and you can believe it, is to make good flour. Never before in New Zeal d has so much money been spent in improving plant with that object in view—that is, since Distributors (Ltd.) has been in existence. Thousands of pounds have been spent in improving the mills without an increase in output of one bag; but it has been done purely ir. the desire to make better flour. Mr Andrews said that the desire was that the millers and bakers should work hand In hand, as they were interdependent. They should net in conjunction and demand that while the Government was placating

the farmers, good wheat should be grown. Mr Corson: "1 can assure you, on behalf of the directors of Distributors, that we are pleased to see you here, and can rest assured that we are heartily with you in trying to improve the conditions of your trade and our own.” He did not know how many of them would remember that at the last conference in Invercargill he had told them that the millers’ position was that, by reason of Government interference, they were not allowed to make the bestquality flour. He ha 1 informed the ex« Minister of Agriculture (Hon. W. Nosworthy) of that opinion at the beginning of last year, and in the course of conversation he had openei the Minister’s eyes to the fact that the Price Fixing Commission in Australia had allowed 48.7 bushels to make a ton of flour, while the New Zealand Government allowed 47 bushels. .Referring to the percentage, Mr Corson said that at the last conference in Christchurch he had mentioned that 72 or 73 per cent, was set for extraction to produce an average quality of flour. He referred to Mr Bruce’s figures and said that the question of scientific investigation of the qualities of the constituent parts of standard flour had not been lost sight of. One of the pinior members of Distributors (Ltd.) was going Home to take up a course of cereal chemistry which was different from analytical chemistry. He could assure the deputation that the millers’ one desire was not only to improve their bread but also the conditions. Anything possible in that direction Distributors would only ho too pleased to undertake if they were allowed to exist. They knew that the existence of Distributors was rather in the “air” owing to the case before the Privy Council. At the annual dinner last year, certain things had been brought forward that the millprs could carry out if assured of their existence, which he was sure, would be a benefit to the trade. The matter of chemists was too costlv for any individual mill, but it would be a matter for Distributors, if the company were allowed to exist The directors were pleased at any time to hear suggestions in regard to flour, and they would bring to bear upon them the Drautieal experience of the directors. Mr Mathieson asked what would be the position in regard to flour this vear. Ho had heard that there was a likelihood of thero being no supplies of flour. Mr Corson: Tf T knew that was going to J would not waste my time working for Wood Bros We are not without hones even vet: that arrangements will be made for a full supply of flour made in New Zealand—(“Hear, hear’’).—He condemned the Board of Tradp for dealing sectionallv in the wheat and flonr matter, going to the wheat grower« first, then to the bakers to see what thev would pav. and then to the millers individually, instead of to the recognised body. That was the whole trouble. Mr Lough said that the Government had interfered in the matter and had told the farmers that a good price would be given for their wheat. It had been proved absolutely that the Government’s policy had not given them a good price and with the Australian wheat being allowed to come in. the farmers would not grow anything next vea»\ If the wheat prices of the world

went up. there was no reason why the price of bread should not he increased. Mr Hudson asked if Australian flour had been used by any New Zealand bakers present. Mr Andrews said that he had used Australian flour, which was similar to average New Zealand quality flour. The quotation for it was £l7 18s per ton landed in Wellington, and it was only business-like to buy the best article consistent w’ith price. Thev could not compete with that price, although it was the earnest desire of the bakers to buy New Zealand flour. The Government was trifling with them. It was time that they took the “bull by the horns” and pushed it instead of them being pushed Mr Barker said that they were not asking for different qualities of flour at the present time, but the complaint was that the millers were supplying different qualities and charging the same price. While prepared to pay for the better quality they were not willing to pay for an indifferent article. The Chairman said that big steps were being made to bring the mills into line. One mill had not produced one bag of flour in the past three months, yet it had been expending money to bring the mill up to the standard He had been asked why New Zealand could not sell at the same price as Australia. Before answering that question he had pointed out that the moisture content of the Australian wheat was 9J per cent, but after milling the flour contained 14 per cent. That is what they were buying. A voice: Flour? Another member: No, buying water. Mr Corson: They are adding the water. If the Government department carries out its duties in the ordinary way you are going to get nowhere The New Zealand millers had been instructed, after flour had been sent out, that bleaching would not be permitted. If the Government carried out its duty, the flour imported from Australia would be carefully analysed. Mr Mathieson: On behalf of the executive I want to thank you for the hearing vou have given us, and I hope that som* good will come out of our meeting. The deputation then withdrew.