WHEAT QUESTION.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16428, 23 January 1919, Page 7

WHEAT QUESTION.

GOVERNMENT CRITICISED

, Considerable dissatisfaction and indignation was expressed at yesterday s meeting of tin- North Canterbury executive of the Fanners' Union when the president (Mr D. Jones) announced that he had received word that the Government would take all this season's crop of good milling wheat at a rate of 6s 6d per bushel f.o.b. at southern ports, and that the present system oi control would be adhered to. "1 his, said Mr Jones, was a distinct breach of faith on the part of the Government. The price last year had been 6s 4d, and a free market, and the Government would now be giving exactly 6s 4d, and wiping out the free market, with all its, advantages. The 6s Gd would be li flat rate for all wheat that passed the fair average quality grade—Tuscan, Hunters, and Pearl—and a fiat rate of 6s 6d was only equal to 6s 4d with a free market, as the extra 2d represented only the additional price for better 'qualities. The Governrtient had entirely broken its agreement through the fton. W. D. S. MacUonald, to give the farmers a free market, and in justice to fanners, many of whom, in face of the promise made by the Government be'foro the crop was put in. had put in wheat when otherwise they would not have done so, the Union must bring before the Government the fact that it had broken faith. The Hon. AV. D. S. Mac Donald had been urged to attend that day's meeting of the executive, but had been unable to do so. Mr Jones added that what the Government had done was to make, a promise before the crop was planted, and then when the crop was about to be harvested it had gone completely back on that promise. In response to a question, Mr Jones said that ho had received word that the price for the 1920 crop would bo os 6d, 5s Bd, and 5s lOd per bushel, with a guarantee that market rates would bo paid—that was to say, if t-o world's market warranted it, the farmers would get the rate ruling. Mr G. Sheat said that tho Union could not take any notice of that promise by the Minister of Agriculture, in view of what had happened. Mr MacDonald had distinctly told members that the rate would be 6s 4<l and a free market for the present year's crop. Tho speaker had thereupon persuaded many men to put in wheat who would not otherwise have done so, and tho result was that he, like the Minister, would appear as a breaker of his promises. He was utterly ashamed that the Government should come along when the harvest was about to commence and break its promise.. He was afraid that tho promise as to nest year was like pio-crust—made to he broken. Mr Jones remarked that some timo ago tho South Canterbury Union had supported the appointment of two arbitrators, Mi* W. G. Mncdonald and Dr. Iteakes, to fix a fair prico for next year, but presumably because the prices suggested by them wero not agreeable to the Government, those prices had never been given effect to. It seemed as though, after the whejit had been grown { it was within the Government's province to boat the farmers for the prico. Mr G. W. Lill suggested that all branches should be communicated with to (see if they would disregard the Government's prices, in fact defy and declare war on the Government. Mr Sheat: A bit of Bolshevism, eli ? Mr VP. Cullen expressed the opinion • that the nearness of the election had something to do with the Government's action. The wheat-growers were, he said, in the minority, and the consumers were in the majority, and the Government was just looking for votes. The meeting then went into committee to discuss what action it should take, and eventually decided that the president should write to the Hon. W. I). S. Mac Donald and the Acting-Prime Minister, setting out all the facts, and, explaining tho agreement come to between tho Minister of Agriculture and x the farmers, and asking' that this agreement be carried out.