DUTIES ON WHEAT & FLOUR

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1929, Page 8

DUTIES ON WHEAT & FLOUR

OPPOSITION. OF POULTRYMEN. EVIDENCE BEFORE COMMITTEE. By Telegraph-—Press Association. Wellington, Last. Night. Further evidence has been heard by the special committee of the House of Representatives considering the question of the sliding scale for wheat duties. - A statement was submitted by Mr. G. S. Bates, representing the New Zealand Poultry Asociation, in which he broadly stated what the position was. He said there were tw r o industries, poultry and ... wheat, of approximately equal value, but that wheat was given such a generous measure of Government protection as to render the other wholly unstable by being compelled to buy its main supply of food from a highly .protected industry. An appeal was made that the Government, at the same time as it contemplated spending large sums on closer settlement, should see that everything possible, was done to those already engaged in the poultry industry, with small holdings, to retain ..possession of their land and plants. j,«u Another poultry farmer, Mr. ..A. G. Mumby, said poultry farmers were not opposed to the production of wheat in New Zealand, but they did think they should be able to get their wheat .at a reasonable price. They had suffered a tremendous knock as the result of the application of the sliding scale. The Hew Zealand farmer was at a big disadvantage so far as the export of eggs was concerned. Replying to Mr. D. Jones the witness said the removal of the sliding scale would place the poultry industry on a sound basis. Further evidence was given by Mr. J. E. Barker, secretary of the Master Bakers’ Association, who said he hoped to be able to show as the result of evidence which would bo called that the price of bread was not excessive. Evidence was given by a number or master bakers, but their testimony was treated as confidential. The committee adjourned till to-mor-row.