THE WHEAT QUESTION.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11366, 12 October 1917, Page 4

THE WHEAT QUESTION.

A SHORTAGE PROBABLE.

From the Manawatn Times. WELLINGTON, Last Night - . The Minister or Agriculture made ait important statement regarding wheat, and flour supplies 'to-day, in reply to questions by Hon. D. Buddo and Mr Nosworthy. The former mentioned the position of a Christchurch miller, who has orders in hand for 500 tons of flour but has only 300 tons in hand. Mr MacDonald stated that there was no immediate prospect of getting the wheat from Australia. He was in communication daily with his agents in Melbourne and Sydney, but latest reports show that the position was still unsettled, in spite of statements to the. contrary. Wc could not get more wheat from New South Wales up to sample, thus we "would have to get supplies from Melbourne or Adelaide. We were facing a but a census of the stocks of all the millers showed there were 836,000 bushels of wheat and 7500 tons of flour, which was equal to a little over a two months’ supply. The stocks in the hands of grocers, merchants, and bakers would fill out to make a three months’ supply. The difficulty was in regard to shipping. When this was settled, ho would have a cargo sent to Auckland and another to the south. Mr Nosworthy: “What is the actual position? There is apparently going to be a big shortage.” The Minister of Agriculture replied that in ordinary years the consumption was 6,500,000 bushels.' The threshing returns totalled 5.250,000 bushels, or possibly a little more, leaving a shortage of bushels. Mr Nosworthy: “Is seed provided for?”

The Minister "Seed has to come out of it. ’ ’ He added that although the area in wheat was 25,000 to 30,000 acres less than the previous year, the prospects were that the yield would show a net increase of ten bushels to the acre. If we were reduced to last year’s average of 20 bushels to the acre, there would be a shortage. Ha could not say the shortage was serious, because although the area under crop in Australia had been reduced, they had enough wheat available for the next year or two.