WHEAT AND FLOUR.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16161, 15 March 1918, Page 6

WHEAT AND FLOUR.

THE INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF : FLOUR. NEXT SEASON'S WHEAT CEOI\ STATEMENT BY THE SIINioTER. Tho Hon. W. D. Mac Donald, Minister of Agriculture, in Chrietchurch yesterday made a further statement as to fixing the priccs of wheat and Hour. Ho said that the prices announced yesterday—Hour £13 10s a ton, pollard £7 10s a bran £-3 IDs—had been submitted to tho Cabinet, which had agreed to them. At tho conference on Wednesday and Thursday, the Hourmillcrs said that if they were to continue to purchase tho now season's wheat, it was imperative that the new prices should come into force at once. I p to the present timo they had made contracts to purchase about I'oo,ooo bushels of -wheat at the present gazetted price, on the basis of />s lljd i.0.b., and they could not continue to purchase wheat if there was any delay in bringing into force the price for the manufactured oroiluct. The increase asked for, the Minister continued, represented a rise of about £1 2s Gd on a ton of wheat, and it was made un as follow?:— •£ s d Increased price of whoat ... 010 0 Increase in cost of manufacturing, railage, storage t discounts, and prjees ot bags ... ... 0 T2 (j Total ... ... £1 2 6 The flourmillcrs had satisfied liini and the Hoard of Trade that at the prieo stated they were not making undue profits.

The last of the Australian, wheat imported last year, totalling 1,150,000 bushels, now was being unloaded at Lyttelton. -Mr C. Fcrrier, the Government grader, had reported that that wheat was of tho highest standard. It was, in fact, tho host milling whoat that ever had come to New Zealand. It had been distributed to flourmillers on tho basis: agreed upon by tho flourmillers and the Wheat Controller, and it would bo used by the millers for mixing with the new season's whoat. There should, therefore, be no deterioration in tho standard of New Zealand flour, in spito of the fact that tho Dominion's harvest had been somewhat delayed on account of wet weather, which, to a slight' extent, had affectod the condition of tho crop. The s;chome for handling the Dominion crop, judging by all reports, had worked satisfactorily. At his meeting with Canterbury farmers, it was stated that every promise mad© by the Government in connexion with the guaranteed price of wheat last year had been fulfilled. Farmers generally oxpressed their satisfaction with the way in which tho scheme was put into operation.

The Minister could not state tho prices the Government proposed to guarantee farmers for the new season's crop, but he stated that the prices would be in advance of the past season's prices, and that thero would be different prices for different qualities. Asked as to tho effect of the new price of flour on the price of bread, he said that he was assured by tho Board °f Trade that it had taken voluminous evidence on the relative prices of flour and bread, and that in most towns no increase over the present price for bread would be justified.

THE POSITION OF THE FARMER. ONLY "A FAIR THING" WANTED. During his visit to the ' Ashburton Show yesterday, the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald was entertained by i,he committee. 4 Speaking subsequently, Mr Mac Donald said that when it was taken into consideration that 107,000 men had gone away, the depletion of the labour supply was a great strain on the farmer. They had had three bad years. In the ten years to 1916 there had been an average yield of 28i bushels of wheat to the acre, and that wheat at 5s 6d or 5s iOd would return the farmer a fail- >emuneration. He was sorry that c.'ie year's average yield of \l2 bushels would not ilo so. The fHxmers "were up against a shortage of labour. No matter how black the war clouds looked, they must not cry enough. They must try to do their utmost for the "country—to do what ivas equitable and fair. The war was still going on, and they all had their boys fighting there, and there was not so mut!h hope for them to look forward to cs there was of the farmers getting good crops next year. He might say tnat the Government recognised their loyalty and patriotism, and the energy and work that the people had put in, and on his return to Wellington he would explain the position of the farmers of the country as far as ho couid and he was sure the Prime Miniiter would do what he thought was right. All conditions, however, had to l>e mot. Mr J. Cow said that if it was a question of growing wheat for nothing to win the war he was sure tho farmers would do it, but the farmers had to consider their balance accounts at the bank. They were willing to grow anything to boat the Huns, but what thev wanted was fair plav. Nosworthv, M.P., ill a short speech, thanked the Minister for his attendance there that day. Mr W. J. Dickie, M.P., said he was sorry to say that tho conditions were very disappointing this year. In many cases the threshing returns "were as much as fifteen bushels below what they thought thev would be. The fanners were as loyal as any part of the population of the British Empire, and were willing to do their part, but when doing so thev did not like 1.0 think they were being .penalised. Th; j y only wanted a fair thing. They would grow wheat if they got fair consideration. Cheers for the Minister concluded the gathering.