WHEAT AND FLOUR.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16157, 11 March 1918, Page 6

WHEAT AND FLOUR.

PRICES STILL .UNDER CONSIDERATION. (SfECIAI. TO'''THE PEESS.") WELLINGTON, March 5. There aro reports that the Govern* ment has decided tho price that is to bo as tho maximum for flour in future. This is not true. Tho price will nob bo fixed until the Board of Trado or the Government has mot tlie Millers' Committee. After that the price of flour may be fixed, and as Boon as possible afterwards the price to be paid for wheat next year, which mtist be depondent to some extent on the price allowed for flour, will be announced. That price is certain to be in the neighbourhood of six shillings a bußhel. Jf that price is not acceptablo to the probably they will not be pressed, as they were last year, to grow wheat, because it has been found as a fact that there, is not tho remotest danger of this country suffering famine. Wheat and flour can be brought from Australia qiiite easily.

POSITION IN SOUTH CANTERBURY. (TRESS ASSOCIATION TELECIIAM.) TIMART7, Martsh 9. ' At a meeting of the South Canter* bury executive of the Now ZefiJatd Farmers' Union held to-day, tho president (Mr John Talbot), referred at length to the question of wheat-gtow-ing and the present harvest ift South Canterbury. The estimated average yield over the whole of tho district tvas aboilk 20 bushels of milling wheat, and thfree or four bushels of seconds, and averaging the cost of production, it meant an average loss of 30s per acre. Tho estimate-;: from North Canterbury and North Otago wore somewhat better, but nowhere wore they good. Tho price of wheat this year, 6s lOd, was based on an average of 27 bushels. Unless the present pfico was substantially inf&rfflfers could not afford to grow wheat this year. A resolution was carried unanimously that the Government bo asked to fix the price for next year's wheat at once, and that unless the price was substantially increased, wheat would not be grown.