The Press Monday, February 23, 1931. The Wheat-Grower.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20169, 23 February 1931, Page 10

The Press Monday, February 23, 1931. The Wheat-Grower.

It is not necessary to -Worn wheatgitflvers that they are the, objects at present of more than the usual amount' of envy. Nor'is it necessary to add that this does not .matter if they are vigilant and reasonably firm. It is not a matter of life and death to them, or to Canterbury in general, that they should continue to receive month by month and season by season precisely the same price as they are receiving at thd present time. What does matter —not only to them but to the whole Dominion —is that they should continue to receive a price that will keep wheat- , growing profitable dn its present scale. They are as able, and as willing, to.) make their contribution to the national emergency as any other section of the community, but they are not able, and must not agree, to concede the sacrifices demanded by the North Island. Neither must they concode, or greatly concern themselves with, the suggestion of the miller and of the baker that they should surrender the difference between dear and cheap bread. The farmer is not responsible for the present price of bread. Bte would not be responsible if he were getting sixpence a bushel more than he actually does get for his wheat. It is difficult to get estimates, even from experts, which cannot be questioned, but it. is fairly safe to say that the fanner's return from a loaf of bread is about one-third of its selling-price. Antiragrarians have a habit of pointing to the " protected " farmer—except bn the eve of an election —as the author of the " dear loaf," though they know rery well that the farmer's return from the loaf is about a penny a pound, and that his profit from it may be nothing at all. Unfortunately the average consumer does not know this, or, know anything else about wheat-growing that he has not had at third, -fourth, or fifth band; add the "average farmer is not Very good at giving him, or anybody, the .information at first-hand. Further, in the present national crisis, (jfhen everybody is suffering and*, being Iranian, looking for somebody to. carry is much; as possible of his burden, the (jfheatrfamer inust expect assaults from directions*—first from those unsortiptiidus people who know the foots but kttfw ma hatfttt misrepresent them, and in the second'place from simple |jp4pie who honestly believe that the" puraer gets about two-thirds -p£ the ; :^n«Jeii ; tbey.. pay for every loaf. It i ; qttght tG.be unlikely that any attempt \ 'osl be 4 made dtteinjg- the Approaching '( thealid- | L? be-irote wrong; I fo^erewith !< y«lar. But'it is'not aertgb that, nothing will bo 1 attempted, i as# qpite certain that a great deal will , bfr^ti^pted'ifi.a certain section of the ' conunwatyhas'its way. Farmers have nothing to fear if they loolK after thejna4d leave their ease 4 in the right %£os' t JSnnot tod soon begin ' getting their, case ready, and letting it i Isdkm&.tity tJMftr Mfoaeither unwillinjgtp mal:e.sacrifl6es lilie other .pf oplfe : 4V-$H%# % '-fM themaeltes by, sacta- ■ ffVs%S- mqre tban*4heir{sh4re. ,'-,. •-