WHEATSHORTAGE

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16858, 11 June 1920, Page 7

WHEATSHORTAGE

PRODUCTION IN BRITAIN. Ceblo—Press Association— Copyright.) 1 (Reuters Telegrams.) LONDON", Juno S.

In the House of Commons, on the w ond reading of tho Agricultural r>iil Sir A. Griffith Boscawen, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of VricuHure, pointed out that before -he war Great Britain produced only enough wheat to suffice from Friday n ;<rbt till -Monday morning. For tho of the week Great Britain depended on foreign imports. "We were agricultural week-enders," he said. had improved during the war and the Government was determined not to let agriculture slip hack. It'would undoubtedly l>o cheaper to -row wheat in Great Britain during The shortage than to import it, the ■vrhole question of the future was how •>« foi their dailv bread. The Bill roisht be called the "Farm- ' Charter," but it was introduced in tho national interest, to make the Host use of tho greatest national asset. The keynoto of the Bill was security —all-round security for the farmer by means of guaranteed pnccs. security to the labourer by means of n minimum wane. and security to the State bv givinc it a certain control of cultivation, so that tho maximum amount of food might be produced. •POSITION IN NEW SOUTH WALES. and N.Z. Cable Association..) SYDNEY. June 10. In view of the wheat shortage, the Labour Party Conference resolved in favour of suspending tho Government wheat contract till tho end A number of mills are shortening hands owing to tho want of supplies. (Received June 10th. 11.20 P- m -) SYDNE\. June 10. Tho wheat shortage is becoming more icuto daily. Many mills m the country and suburbs have closed, and it is expected that tho remainder will follow suit unless supplies are speedily brought from Victoria, as there are only suiiicicnt stocks to last another two or three days. Whilo dealing with the wheat outlook in hjs address to the N.Z.r.u. Provincial Conference yosterday, tho President gave the following figures: During tho Franco-Prussian war wheat was 5s 9d._ It rose to /s 4d per bushel, and remained at that price for three years after tho declaration or peace/ To-day the price of wheat was l*>s 6d per bushel, f,0.b., Melbourne, and it would cost Great Britain at least 16s per bushel to import wher.t from tho Argentine or America. When thev turned to the statistics of this roar it "was found that the united States' winter wheat area had decreased 34 per cent.: Australia was a very uncertain quantity, owing to tho drought; it was estimated that tho area "in Europe was 12,000-000 acres short, while Russia, that in pre-war davs produced from 800,000,000 to 900.000.000 bushels of wheat annually, was in the grip of civil war. In reply to a question, Mr D. Jones, M.P., said that the Government had been legally advised that it mado not tho slightest difference whether the wheat prices for, next soason were gazetted or not. The contract had been entered into, and that was bindinc If the Dominion produced more than was required within her borders, the market price would he the export ralne —that is, the value of the wheat if the grower* were free to place their wheat upon the best _ market within Teach. If tho Dominion produced less than would meet her requirements, tho guaranteed value to be paid to growers wonld bo the landed cost of imported wheat. " :