MOVE TO REDUCE DUTIES ON WHEAT.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 64, 17 March 1931, Page 4

MOVE TO REDUCE DUTIES ON WHEAT.

AMENDMENT TO BE PUT BEFORE HOUSE.

(Special to the “Star”) WELLINGTON, March 16. At the earliest opportunity Mr Wilkinson, Independent member for Egmont, will divide the House on the wheat duties. He intimated to-night that he would move an amendment proposing that immediate steps be taken to reduce the cost of living by abolishing or reducing Customs taxation on wheat and flour, which had resulted in the high price of bread, the staple food of the people. A later speaker, Mr Kt’le (Riccarton), reminded the member for Egmont that a Parliamentary committee had recommended that the wheat industry should be maintained in New Zealand. The farmer got only a penny per pound out of the bread sold. Wheat producers ran big risks from the season’s vagaries. The importation of flour simply meant sending another two or three millions sterling out of New Zealand. Millers’ profit on flour was £5 10s a ton. while the gross profit on the same quantity distributed as bread was £lB ss. He could prove that the ruling price of bread in Sydney was practically the same as for bread bought over the counter in Canterbury. Wheat-growing gave employment to 3200 men, and up to 16,000 during harvest. The industry should be protected by a sliding scale duty, though the producer was quite willing to reduce costs and pass on the benefit to the consumer. Barley and maize were imported duty free, but Australian farmers got only starvation prices. Dumping duties should be imposed on chaff, maize and barley from Australia to prevent New Zealand producers being swallowed up.