WHEAT PRICES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16164, 19 March 1918, Page 6

WHEAT PRICES.

0 DIFFERENTIAL RATE FOR NEXT YEAR. STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. CRESS ASSOCIATION* TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON. March IS. The Government has fixed the following nrices to bo guaranteed to farmers for the 1918-19 wheat crop, Per Bushel. Tuscan ... Hunters ... ••• Pearl and Velvet ... Cs Id The Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, Minister of Agriculture, in making this announcement, said that the crop this year had been very disappointing, lentil December there was a promise of more than an average yield, but now it was estimated that it would not bo better than an average of 21 bushels per acre. For three years the farmers liad had failures with their wheat crops. With tho high prices ruling for labour and implements, the cost of tho production of wheat had gone up enormously. There seemed to be no doubt that this season's crop liad not been a paying one from the farmer's viewpoint. Under present conditions farmers could do much better with sheep than with cropping, with less anxiety and uncertainty. In the circumstances it would be natural that they should bo diffident about the quantity of wheat they should sow in tho coming year. The Minister went on to say that ho felt sure that if tho farmers were satisfied that wheat was badly needed, they would do their very best to produce it. It was a fact that wheat purchased by the Government in Australia could not be landed hero at a lower price than it was proposed should be guaranteed to the New Zealand farmers. The farmer's great anxiety was in respect to labour, and it had been represented to him that they should receive more consideration from the Government in regard to the exemption of essential farm labour from military requirements. He thought they would bo met in this respect a s far as passible.

(special to "the tress.") WELLINGTON, March 18. The announcement of the prices to bo paid lor wheat nest year may como as a disappointment to many of the growers ot wheat in different parts of JNow Zealand. It is an open secret that Cabinet has not been fully agreed on this matter. Thero aro 'Ministers who aro of opinion that we should pay enough for wneat to ensure that under almost any circunistances a sufficient supply should be grown to meet our requirements, and tftere are others who hold the view that if it is possible to encourage the growing of wheat. only at the expense of an increase in the price of tno loaf, it would be better for the country to import wheat. The Labour Government of Australia has shown 110 disposition to be generous to the New Zealand workers who have to buy bread. When Mr Mac Donald went to Australia to get wheat the price ho had to pay was a; big one. Tne British Government had bought large quantities of wheat in Australia, which could not bo shipped, and tho British Government had agreed, subject to the consent of Mr Hughes, to sell some of this wheat to New Zealand. But Mr Hughes would not givo his consent. He insisted that if New Zealand wanted wheat it must buy from Australia and not from England. That objection could have been overridden, but it was not, and tho result was that New Zealand had to pay ninepence a bushel more for 1 wheat. If it becomes known in Australia, as it has alroady, that New Zealand is likely to rely on Australia for bread, it is not likely that Mr Hughes will let us have the bread cheap. There i s also the possibility of difficulty in getting whoat across from Australia.