RELIEF FOR WHEAT GROWERS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18634, 19 February 1935, Page 7

RELIEF FOR WHEAT GROWERS

COMMONWEALTH BONUS SYDNEY, Jan. 12. The Commonwealth Government will again this year grant a bonus to wheat growers. The estimated distribution is £4,000,000. A bounty of 3d a bushel on marketable wheat delivered for sale will amount to £1,500,000. A payment of 3s an acre will account for about £1,926,750 and £573,000 will be divided amongst farmers who have suffered crop losses through adverse conditions. The bounty is based upon a saleable wheat harvest of 120 million bushels, equivalent, to a harvest of 133 million bushels less 13 million bushels for seed. The Government will raise £1,700,000 of the money by a flour tax of £2 12s 6d per ton and will raise £2.300,000 from general revenue. A scheme to relieve debt-ridden farmers lias yet to be approved by Parliament, which will meet again in the iirst quarter of 1935. The present proposal is to establish a fund of about £12,000,000, from which advances will be made" without interest to meet farm liabilities. The administration will be left to the -State Governments, who will in tlie first place promote compositions with the farmers’ creditors, by which it. is expected that farm indebtedness will be considerably reduced. The Government will become the creditor and allow the debtors sufficient time to get on their feet.. The scheme might be remodelled.