THE WHEAT CROP.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVII, Issue 16478, 25 February 1918, Page 4

THE WHEAT CROP.

AND GOVERNMENT'S PURCHASE SCHEME. INTERVIEW WITH WHEAT COiNTROLLER. On Saturday when the Government Wheat Controller (Mr W. G. Mt'Donald) was in Timarn a representative of this parser had a conversation with him, when some points of general intexesti w-?ra made clear. In reply to a question as to how the Government's purchase scheme waa working Mr McDonald said that it was working very well, and all parties seemed fairly well satisfied. Asked concerning the Government's intention in regard to next year's priccU for wheat, the- controller said that was a matter for the Minister for Agriculture and Cabined, hut lie could say this: That since the Board of Trade reported on prices the present discouraging harvest prospects had been placed by prominent grain men before the Minister for Agriculture with blue resu'.t that the Minister had re-submitted to the Bonrd of Trade for a further report.' The Controller added that' he could not say how soon next year's prices would bo gazetted, but it was recognised tifoat farmers should be told as soon as possible in order that they might be enicouraged to grow the maximum amount of wheat next season. Asked concerning his business in Tima.ru Mr McDonald said that 'hie had met tlw grain brokers and had discussed with them several points in regard to the Regulations under which wheat was being bought. There wore one or two points which ought to b.> made clear. For example it was a breach of the Regulations for a broker to give a, farmer a _ concession in the price of sacks as an inducement for the farmer to sell his grain through that particular broker, and it was a breach of the Regulations for a broker to offer inducements of any sort to farmers to sell -their grain through them. It was also a breach of the broker's license for him without the express authority of the miller for whom he was huying to pass grain in the paddock. It wa-s no pirt of the broker's duty to pass wheat in the field before the miller had had an opportunity of seeing it. Another point was that if a farmer was dissatisfied with a miller's rejection of his whcait. he would he qnite at liberty to offer it to another miller; or he could call in -the Government grader to arbitrate ns between himself and the miller in which case the decision cf the grader would be final. Iu a reference to the Australian wheat which the Government had purchased Mr McDonald said that the last shipment of the purchase would arrive at an early date, and wou'.d be landed at Lyfcte.lto.rs, Tim am, ami Dune-din. Originally the Government, had agrood to 'purchase 1,000,000 'bushels, but the quantity taken was about 1,500,000 bushels. Questioned as to vrhy the Governmtjnt were giving 4d a bushel more, to North Island farmers than to South Island farmers for their wheat, Mr McDonald said the position was that last season the North Island grow between 8000 and 9000 acres of wheat. Estimating the yield at 30 bushels this would amount to approximately between 240,000 and 270,000, barely enough to satisfy North Island requirements for ten days. It is therefore claimed that practically the who'.o of the flour ground in the North Island must be from wheat grown in the South Island, and the flour miller mustget the price for his flour based on the cost of wheat at his mill. This necessarily must include the cost of freight between the two is'ands, approximately between 3d and 6d per bushel. If the Nortlh Island milters were allowed to buy North Island wheat at the same price as South Island wheat at port of shipment they would make, if th» wheat were of the same quality, an additional profit equivalent to bettween 5d and 6d per bushel. Thus, if the North Island yield were 250,000 bushels and the freight between the two islands is calculated at sd, the North Island millers would gain in addition to their ordinary profits a further sum of £5208 Gs SO. It was thought batter that tins sum should go to the pockets of the producer and not into the pockets of tho millers. If the North Island wheat were of the some quality as the South Island wheat the difference in price should have been between 5d and 6d per bushel. So it is inferior in quality. The difference in price allowed the North Island farmer was put down at 4d in order to give the North Island miller an inducement to use the wheat grown in his own district, otherwise he might have, bought all his requirements in tho South, and inferior North Tsland wheat wcmld have been left on tho Government's hnnds. It should b-' noted that for a breach, of thfe Regulations in connection with the purchase of wheat the grower is liable as well as the broker.