WHEAT-GROWING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19953, 10 November 1934, Page 15

WHEAT-GROWING

ASSOCIATION LAPSES STATEMENT BY MR MULHOLLAND The position of the New Zealand Wheatgrowers’ Association as it affects the farming community is outlined by the chairman (Mr W. W. Mulholland) in an article in the current issue of “The Wheatgrower.” He states that after this issue “The Wheatgrower” will not be published by the New Zealand Wheatgrowers’ Association, and it will cease to be the official organ of the association, though he understands that efforts are being made to continue it under other direction. “This represents the end of the last important activity carried on by the association, and may be my last opportunity to address you through these columns,” states Mr Mulholland. “In order that our members may know just what the position is, it seems desirable that I should give a few words of explanation. “As will have been seen by the published balance-sheet of the wheat pools, the reserve fund created by the deduction of one penny per bushel (approximately) from the wheat pooled during 1929, 1930, and 1931 has been all disbursed, the amount on hand as shown being only £79, from which a few payments have still to be made. This leaves the association with only its original capital, slightly augmented by profits from trading—mainly in connection with wheat—during the period between the cessation of actual pooling operations, when the Wheat Marketing Agency, embracing all growers, began to function in 1932, and the expiry of the wheat-milling contract date—namely, December 31, 1933, when the reserve could be repaid to growers. Same Trading Policy “This small capital was too little to enable the Wheatgrowers’ Association to enter into any commercial venture, the original contribution of most members when they joined six years ago being only £1; but a number of farmers, most of whom were members of the electoral committee, got together and formed a company which they called the Agricultural DistributingAgency Company, on the understanding that the directors of the association would allow them to acquire the trading connections which the association had built up during the past six years, and would also put some of the association’s capital into the shares of the new company. “The A.D.A. is to carry out the same trading policy as that carried out by the Wheatgrowers’ Association during the past two years, and our members are to continue for a term to receive the service which the association has been giving (such as market advice) in regard to the disposal of their produce (without any obligation) from the new company | The number of shares now held by the Wheatgrowers’ Association is sufficient to give it control of the policy of the new company and it can be relied on to use its power to shape a policy that is in the interests of its members. Association's Achievements. The disbursement of the reserve fund marks the end of the activities of the New Zealand Wheatgrowers’ Association in connection with wheat marketing. I feel sure that a dispassionate review of the work which it has done will credit it with very useful services to the industry, not the least of which will be that it made possible the present very satisfactory method of safe-guarding the marketing of our wheat through the Wheat Purchase Board. “It also paved the way for the United Wheatgrowers in one united organisation. Had it not been for the Wheatgrowers’ Association that body would never have come into existence, but it is now the strongest and most representative organisation the wheat growers have ever had. If they will stand loyally behind it it will be able to protect their interests more effectively than any organisation they have yet had, and it will be able to represent them with confidence in any negotiations which may be necessary in the future, knowing that it reflects the opinions of all wheatgrowers in the South Island, at least. “I feel that it is a great pity that the North Island wheatgrowers have so far failed to accept the invitation of the South Island farmers to join with them. It seems to me that the North Island men have missed a valuable opportunity to put their position before the southern farmers when I know they would have received a very fair hearing. They appear to have suspected that there was some trap somewhere, but I can assure them that the invitations issued to them by the United Wheatgrowers’ Association to attend the Electoral Committee meeting were issued in all good faith. Indeed, if the directors had had any other intention the Electoral Committee would certainly not have countenanced it. New Wheat Variety. “An event of considerable interest to wheatgrowers is the decision of the Council of the Wheat Research Institute to release the variety known as Cross 7 for commercial sowing next season. The decision was hardly made known before the whole of the seed likely to be available was applied for, so keen are farmers to get some of this variety for trial. “The release of this wheat marks a milestone • in the plant-breeding work of the institute, in that it is the first variety to be actually bred by it to be released. All other improved varieties have been obtained entirely by selection from existing strains, but Cross 7 is the result of crossing two distinct varieties, and then careful selections of the resulting progeny over several generations. Cross 7 has shown itself on the average to be fully equal to Tuscan in yield and superior in quality of flour and several other characteristics. There have, however, been some dis-

fcricts where it has not been so satisfactory, as in the case with all other varieties, but generally speaking, where Tuscan is the best wheat to grow, Cross 7 has also done well. A more definite demarcation of districts where it is suitable must await its actual use on a commercial scale. “Dr Frankel is firmly of opinion that it will prove a superior quality wheat to Hunters, and probably equal to the. best Pearl and Velvet, while he believes it to be more wind resistant than Tuscan. Of course, many wheats of which great hopes were held have failed when grown under commercial conditions, and Cross 7 may be another in this category; but I do not think so. It has been subjected to such a lengthy trial period and tried over such a wide area that any weakness could hardly have escaped detection. “A wheat as prolific as Tuscan and of as good baking' quality as Velvet must be of great importance to the industry—to the farmer, because quality offers the best way of keeping out unwanted imports of foreign flour; to the miller, because it will enable him consistently to make a high quality flour; and to the baker, because he can get the quality of bread he desires with certainty and the minimum of effort. “I extend my congratulations to the Wheat Research Institute.”