WHEAT IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2272, 5 October 1914, Page 7

WHEAT IN NEW SOUTH WALES

PRODUCERS HARD HIT. • A New South Wales farmer writing to the Press in regard to tho action ot the Stato Government ' in fixing the price of wheat at 4s. v 2d. per bushel, says in the course of his letter; —"Tho primary producer is patriotic and loyal enough to agree that some action should be taken to prevent all necessities of life being 'cornered' and sent up to extreme war. and 'famine prices (which, however, was not tho caso with wheat and flour) so long as such action does not hit one class for the benefit of aJ others. Tire Government, in fixing the price of wheat in a time of drought, apart altogether from the war problem, has added another hardship to the already hard lot of the producer. Everyone who watches the movements of the wheat market and the season's prospects knows that in a season such as the present one wheat, in all probability, would have found its level in price at above 4s. 2d. per bushel, seemg the great shortage there must be in the Australian crop this year. The law of 'supply and demand,' if left alone, would have put wheat lip to a high level. When tho producer of any commodity finds that the average,return of that which he produoes is at least 50 per cent, below a fair average ho has to look to inoreased value of the article to make his business a paying proposition. I should like Mr. Hall and his colleagues to show us how the producer is to live and make his business pay (without talking of profits) with a half crop of wheat—about 9 bushels per acre (and I doubt if this year's crop will make that average)-rwhen we know that tho most economical'farmer cannot grow his wheat and deliver in bags at the railway at under 80s. per acre; then there is the freight and selling charges at the other end, which at the' 4s. 2d. per bushel fixture will bring the price to the farmer at about 3s. Bd. per bushel, or 335. per acre on a 9-busnel crop, or a profit of 35., which is barelya fair rent for the land."

Another correspondent writes to the same newspaper:—"lt was only a short time ago I was asked to employ as much labour as I could to enable me to pu a big crop in for next year. But if our wheat buyers' or speculators' or shippers' hands are tied, the farmers' also are, what a fix we would be in next year. At this time we want to, export all wo can, as our wool is a dead letter this year. If the Government wants to keep the wheat in the country the least it should have done is to givo lie market price for it, which I do not think is an inflated one, with drought staring us in the face, and the fanners perhaps only getting half a crop. Yi will want every penny we can make to pull us through this next year."