THE PRICE OF WHEAT.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16168, 23 March 1918, Page 10

THE PRICE OF WHEAT.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PBESS." Sir, —Regarding the fixing of the price of wheat: I am not at all surprised 1 that there is great dissatisfaction over the attitude taken by Government. In the first place I consider the inland grower is being unfairly treated owing to prices being on an f.o.b. basis. He has to pay railage, in proportion to distance from port, on most things in connexion with the growing and harvesting of a crop, and then is also asked to pay railage on that crop. If his wheat goes to a mill across the road he is debited with f.o.b. charges, even if, aS is often the case, none of them are incurred. I think, with the cost of production at its present high rate, the wheat-grower is "honestly_ entitled to at least six shillings, at station of delivery. I doubt very much whether the Australian wheat was landed here at that fprica, and if it was not, I fail to why the Australian grower should, by our Government, be given a preference over the local grower. Surely those responsible for the fixing of recent prices do not think the offering of a penny or two extra is going to make any difference to the area sown. With the continued rise in price of all things essential to the growing of a crop, those few pence will be more than "swallowed up" in the extra cost of production. Are not the Government treating the farmer like a noisy little boy, who is given a lolly to keep him quiet. I would like to see some abler pen than mine take this matter up.—Yours, etc., WHEATENOATS.