IMPORTING WHEAT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2309, 17 November 1914, Page 7

IMPORTING WHEAT

CANADIAN GRAIN BEING LOADED.

The Hesteros, a eteamer chartered to carry wheat from Canada to New Zealand, is now loading 250,000 bushels of the grain at St. John's, and will sail tor this country very shortly. '' Speaking on the subject of wheat importation yesterday, . the Prime Minister (the Hon. W. F. Massey) said:—"l think that we shall be able to arrange for some .to come down from the western side, from Vancouver, so as to get it here at an earlier date. The earliest time at which any of it may be expected to arrive is the New Year, but we might get some from, the• western side a little earlier. About 250,000 bushels will bo brought in the Hesteroe, and the :other ship, whoso name is not yet known, will bring a comparatively small quantity. 1 So far as lam able to judge, the arrangement is exceedingly satisfactory. The wheat will arrive just,about the timethat it is required: I am not able to say at present whether any will come after that contraot han been fulfilled. Wβ shall be guided by circumstances as they arise. "Wβ have found," Mr. Massey conttimled, "that the Indiata wheat on which we were relying is not euitablo for New Zealand. It requires special cleaning machinery, which so far we have not got in New Zealand. Asa'matter of fact, the primitive methods of threshing employed in India make it necessary for Indian wheat to be washed. My opinion is that the Indian , wheat is threshed as-it was in the time of Abraham, treaded out by oxen, and special cleaning machinery would have to be imported if we accepted wheat from that source." ■;...

As to the effect of the importations on the prices, Mr. Massey eaid: "Hie Government is not going to make any profit out of it at all." replied Mr. Massey. "We will probably make a slight loss, but under the circumstances it is our duty to bring the wheat here, and supply the population with the feod that is required. Private individuals are also importing, and we have given them every encouragement and facility for doing so."