NEXT SEASON’S WHEAT

Southland Times, Issue 19482, 4 April 1922, Page 6

NEXT SEASON’S WHEAT

QUESTION OF GUARANTEED PRICE A meeting of wheat-growers was held in the of the Ashburton A. and P. Association last week to discuss the question of asking the Government to a minimum price for the wheat grown in the season of 1922-1923. There were between 30 and 40 present. Mr W. T. Lili said some wheat-growers thought it would be a good thing to have the wheat grown commandeered and fixed prices paid, and that if this were not done there would not be much wheat grown next season. There was no great profit for the farmere in wheat-growing. Mr John Farrell: The threshing-mills get

Mr Lili went on to say that sheep and butter were far beyond wheat, and there was no chance of getting rich by wheat growing, which only paid once in about five years, and the growers only collected the money to give it to somebody else. It was election year and the farmers’ influence was small compared with the votes the Government would get from others. There was no greater gamble under the sun than wheat growing, and personally he felt it was not worth troubling much about. He had grown as much as 20,000 bushels of wheat one year, and he had not made much by it. There had been a tremendous lot of money made in wheat during the commandeer year, but he did not believe in the duty business. The Government could make a handle of it and could play ducks and drakes with it. He did not care much one way or the other, and the Gov ernment could take the duty off at any time if they thought fit.

Mr John Farrell said he did not want any commandeer and he did not see why they should go to the Government and ask for a guarantee price for w’heat. They would look like a lot of school boys to go to the Government for a guaranteed price. He was a wheat-grower, and.had got seven shillings a bushel for his wheat when there was no guaranteed price, and was quite satisfied. He moved—“ That this meeting of wheat-growers is opposed to asking the Government to give any guaranteed price for wheat grown this season.” The motion was seconded by Mr F. Frampton, who remarked that in 1914, when wheat was free, he got 7/6 a bushel for what he grew, but this was the only occasion on which he had ever made anything out of wheat-growing. It was now time farmers went on their own, and they would be stydyifig their own interests by telling the Government that they did not want any further guaranteed price. Mr G. W. Leadley expressed himself in favour of a guaranteed price. The man who provided food for the people must have an assured reward for providing that food. It was not desirable that this guarantee should be for an indefinite period, but it should certainly be till things got down to a normal level. There was do more risky thing than wheat-growing, and only suitable land should be devoted to wheat-grow-ing. In view of this they ought to ask the Government to guarantee a price for next season. There were powerful influences which would oppose a guarantee, but the Government should be asked to give it. Mr D. G. Wright was of the opinion that if a guarantee were given it should be low, about the cost of production, and for a period of years. If the guarantee were too high it would induce farmers to grow more wheat than their land was fit for, and do more cropping than the land would stand.

Mr H. Henderson said he did not want a guarantee, and the farmers would have been better off to-day if there had been no guarantee for the price of wool or butter. Mr John Brown said they should think of the young farmers who had taken up wheat land, and land which was not suitable for keeping cows. He did'not want a big guarantee, but a guarantee which would come as near as possible to the cost of production. Mr J. Robertson, a young soldier-farmer, said labour marketed its price, and why should not the farmer market the price for what he produced, and make that price as near cost as possible?

Mr J. M. Hampton remarked that he had been growing wheat for the last 40 years, and he could assure the young farmers that if they stuck to wheat-growing they would not be able to pay their rent. They wanted to go steady and grow a wheat crop, say, three times in five years. Person he would not grow a single acre more wheat with a Government guarantee than if there were no guarantee.

On Mr Farrell’s motion being put it was lost by 14 votes to 12, a number of those present abstaining from voting either way.

Mr D. G. Wright then moved, and Mr J. Brown seconded: “That, with the object of assuring a supply of wheat sufficient for local consumption, the Government be asked to carefully consider the advisability of guaranteeing a minimum price of not less than the cost price for a period of years. The motion "was carried by 17 votes to 5.