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THE MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND THE WHEATGROWING INDUSTRY.

TO THE EDITOR Or THE TEESS. Sir, —Your article in last Tuesday's Press commenting upon Mr Hawken's remarks concerning the wheat-growing industry was very appropriately worded, and should quietly remind the Minister that a liltlo knowledge is a dangerous thing. In writing this letter, I do so with a full knowledge of tho industry, after 30 years' experience in agriculture. I entirely agree with you that the Minister's remarks concerning the wheat-growing industry not being an essential one, are amazing. And yet, what else can ono expect from a North Island man, who has"absohitely no conception whatever of the exigencies of the wheat industry? Had Mr Hawken remarked that it was not an essential industry so far as the North Island was concerned, -one could readily understand his view, without in tho least degree agreeing with him. The plain fact of tho matter is tho agriculturists of the South Island—the only place in New Zealand .where agriculture counts for anything —will never receive justico due, s>o long as a North Island member of Parliament is Minister for Agriculture; who is not in a position through prejudice, and want of practical knowledge to understand the exigencies of the wheat-growing industry, in the same way that a South Island member living in the granary of Now Zealand is; and, therefore, lie classes this highly essential industry as "non-essen-

tial." Although Mr Nosworthy may not have been a popular Minister for Agriculture, he at least understood the requirements of the industry, and fully sympathised with those engaged in it, because he himself understood it. In tho writer's opinion, all tho wheat conferences held during the last 18 months or so, have'been an absolute farce; as big a farce, in fact, as tho Agricultural and Pastoral Associations throughout New Zealand in making use of ,the word "agricultural." What do they do for the agriculturist? I am well aware that the executive of the Canterbury A. and P. Association suddenly woke to tho fact a short time ago (they are sound asleep again now) that there was such an industry as the wheat-growing industry, but their efforts to assist the real agriculturists were and always have been spasmodic, futile, and weak in the extreme. They call themselves an Agricultural Association—note the word "agricultural"—and cater for the pastoralists, the cattle-breeders, the horsebreeders, the pig-breeders, buck-jumping competitions, side-shows, and so on, but none, with the exception of the Otago A and P. Association, with their magnificent Winter Show, cater in the least for the' agriculturist in a way worthy of mention, and even the Otago A. and P. Association does not foster and encourage the wheat-growing industry in the way it should. Then again, there are the so-called Farmers' Unions, most of which are mutual admiration societies, who so'often appoint delegates to attend an important conference, who have themselves been failures, and so the real agriculturists are not worthily represented. The wheat-growers should, in every country where wheat is grown, form a League of their own, quite apart from the so-called Farmers' Unions and Agricultural and Pastoral Associations. The one and only method to stabilise the wheat-growing industry and to save it from perishing is to impose a sufficient duty on Australian wheat and flour, to ensure that the New Zealand wheat-growers may justly reap the fruit of their labours. Tho idea of requesting the Government to again assume control and guarantee maximum and minimum prices is too absurd, and throughout my experience' of wheat-growing—part of which was during the period of Government control—l always strongly depreciated any assistance from the Government, except through a protective tariff. The wheat-growers, as already stated, should form a League of their own, and hammer away at the Government until adequate protection from foreign invasion was assured. Canterbury, Otago, and Southland—in a lesser degree —should, and can grow all tho wheat required in New Zealand, and would do so if the growers were more justly and sympathetically treated, but it is perfectly obvious that while the present Minister holds, the important portfolio of Agriculture the industry will continue to sicken, and if the Coates' Government does not assume a more sympathetic attitude it will eventually die and perish altogether (both the Government and the industry), and when the industry has perished, the bread consumers of New Zealand will receive a shock at the price they will have to pay for their bread made from imported wheat or flour. Delegates to future conferences would be well advised to talk less and concentrate on two phases of the question, viz., the paramount importance of securing an adequate protective tariff; ahd also consider tho advisability of respectfully requesting the Prime Minister to appoint a Member of Parliam tas Min- I isler for Agriculture, who does look | upon the wheat-growing industry as essential, and one who is in entire^ sympathy with the wheat-growers.—Yours, etc., OTAGO EX-WHEAT-GROWER. December 29th, 1926.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19261231.2.138.3

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18888, 31 December 1926, Page 17

Word count
Tapeke kupu
822

THE MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND THE WHEATGROWING INDUSTRY. Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18888, 31 December 1926, Page 17

THE MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND THE WHEATGROWING INDUSTRY. Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18888, 31 December 1926, Page 17

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